One of the issues that leaders, managers or supervisors should focus on is training employees so that they will integrate easier to be efficient, acquire new skills and performances. Whatever the type of training and the level of the employees who were included in the learning program, the outcome is not always the expected one. Sometimes trainers are not the only ones dissatisfied with the results, but also employees who were trained. Finally, also the leaders of the organization end up being disappointed by the investment they made in the staff of different teams and the entire business may suffer if things were not done well.
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is not to provide any training at all or not to include their employees in career development programs. It is true that anyone who joins an organization was hired based on the experience accumulated so far. However, you should not place an employee in the production area from day one and leave him to manage things no matter how, or hope that he will get help from his experienced colleagues. Of course, the assistance received from staff who already has experience is welcome, but training a new employee should not rely exclusively on this, but provide him an introduction to the activities he will face.
Choosing The Wrong Trainers And Speeding Things Up
Another mistake that leaders and managers can do is choosing the wrong trainers or offering the wrong training programs to their employees. Whether we talk about the sessions held by internal employees or provided by specialized companies, it is important to ensure that trainers were trained to be able to meet the learning needs of the participants. However, a large volume of knowledge does not guarantee the quality of training, if the one who should lead the knowledge transfer is not sufficiently prepared to do it. In other words, patience, willingness and ability to be understood and offer explanations are indispensable.
Time is money, but things that are made on the run are not always the best ones. Even if the purpose of the learning process is to prepare the employee to take over certain tasks as quickly as possible, there are some steps without which the plan may fail. First, the employee and the trainer must understand the purpose of the training and set expectations for themselves. The employee must receive the opportunity to learn and practice what he’s learning, mutual communication and feedback should be encouraged throughout the learning process. Employee training should not take place under pressure, and a final audit is needed to see what was good and what could be improved on both sides.
Evaluation
Even if we are confident that the learning session was truly held that an employee has participated in the training, it is necessary to evaluate the gained knowledge. For example, a person may believe he understood the concepts that have been taught in a training session, but it is possible that not all things are clear or that he didn’t understand the entire context, the overview. Such situations occur especially with online training or eLearning session when the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the trainer is limited. A diploma or a certificate does not guarantee that the person who has it is also qualified for a certain thing.
Last but not least, it is vital that employees understand why they were included in a particular training program and why they have to learn certain things. Thus, they will become more aware of their role in the organization, and the role of the organization as a whole. This way, they will be able to set realistic expectations regarding their future evolution in the company. Also, do not forget that the high volume of information can be overwhelming for employees while participating in several training sessions in a short time can be confusing for them unless they are supported and encouraged to develop in a particular direction.
BIA HR TEAM