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There are a range of reasons why you should consider the most effective method of training your employees. It can contribute to higher employee satisfaction rates as well as boosting productivity.
Think about your employees’ different types of learning methods, and how effective each type of training method is estimated to be depending on your employees and how you believe that they learn best.
Ensuring that employees are correctly trained on a regular basis is essential for any business, no matter how large or small. Enforcing safety procedures and giving employees additional information about their current job roles is needed to boost productivity and prevent company time-wasting.
Of course, there is no single method of training that is the most effective, so it is up to you to decide what would be the most appropriate training method for your employees. Because of this, it is recommended that you use two or more training methods, and combine them.
Consider the following factors before planning your next training meeting to get a better understanding of your employees, and the way that they work.
Article Table of Contents
Why Is Choosing A Training Method Important?
Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that different training methods can help boost employee productivity as well as company efficiency. This is because you can base your training methods on the different formats that different minds absorb information.
The three main learning styles that can be seen in any group of employees are kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. While it may seem like more effort is needed to engage larger groups of employees, it is worth finding a training method that promotes productivity and even boosts profits over time.
If existing employees and new starters receive a highly comprehensive and somewhat interactive training method, they are more likely to feel listened to by the members of staff that are more authoritative than themselves. This can lead to happier employees who have higher rates of job satisfaction, which is a great motivator to encourage productivity and prevent time-wasting.
Choosing the right training method for your employees can benefit your business in the long run. This is because there will be less of a pressing need to resolve insufficient work, which can help boost profits and save company money.
When you have taken the time to discuss your options for training methods with other members of your team, you can also ensure that you find a format that encourages retention from more employees. This has the potential to save money in the long run, as there will be a lower amount of supervision needed if everyone has been trained correctly.
Because of this, businesses are also more likely to experience fewer accidents caused by careless mistakes or lack of attention.
Top 10 Types Of Employee Training Methods
It is important to remember that there is no superior method of training that will suit all learning styles and employees, so it is highly recommended that you combine two or more of these methods in order to yield the best possible results.
Depending on the available resources within your company, and the amount of time allowed for each training session, you should consider the following training methods and think about which ones would be the most effective and relevant to your agenda.
Instructor-Led Training
The most traditional method of training follows the format of a classroom led discussion delivered by an instructor. There is usually a visual aid such as slides, images, or videos, and it can be a highly effective way to deliver specific training about a particular topic or procedure.
Instructor-led training can also enable employees to ask specific questions in a learning environment and take the time to absorb the information.
While this can be highly beneficial for both employees and managers, there is a delicate balance that needs to be maintained. This concerns the size of the employee group, and the duration of the training session. Too large of a group can make it more challenging to engage in questions, whereas too small can become a little intimidating to the employees and seem like some kind of test.
The training session needs to be long enough to cover all bases of the specific procedure or framework that is used by employees, without losing their attention. Consider introducing a break if your meeting lasts longer than 70 minutes, and try to make the sessions interesting and interactive to ensure that they are effective.
eLearning
Technology can be used to deliver online training to larger groups of employees without having to schedule meetings with everyone. Also known as computer-based training (CBT), eLearning can be accessed using company computers, smartphones, or tablets.
Employees are encouraged to answer questions about a video, presentation, or information sheet that they can access online. This training method eliminates the need for a member of staff to oversee the process, and there is less of a time restraint.
Because of this, employees can take their time when they are inputting their responses or information. Being able to effectively engage in the training process encourages a deeper understanding of the procedures and general standards that are expected.
The biggest advantage of using eLearning as a training method is that it is easy to deliver to a higher number of employees at one time. This can help save company time in general, although it does not come without its challenges.
Computer based training is typically adapted to make it more interactive or engaging using outdated animations or childish characters. It can feel slightly degrading to employees. It is also easier for employees to skim over the information without fully understanding or engaging in it.
For this reason, it is recommended that you encourage discussion about the procedures and protocols that are addressed once everyone has completed their online training. This can give employees a chance to ask questions and address anything that they didn’t fully understand.
Simulation Employee Training
Another computer-based way of delivering training is simulation employee training. This can be beneficial if your employees need to complete training to use specialist equipment, as it is more time efficient than encouraging them to try it out one by one.
Simulations made for workplace training usually provide realistic scenarios and issues within a similar work environment or field to your workers. This can be within medicine, construction, aviation, and laboratories.
While this training method is a little more expensive than CBT, it typically yields better results from employee retention of important information. Virtual reality and computer programs demonstrate realistic environments, and allow employees to progress at their own pace.
Of course, it is necessary to close the training session by engaging employees in a discussion to make sure that they have fully understood what they have learned during the simulation. Encourage them to ask detailed questions, and show them how to resolve certain issues as they arise before signing off their training.
Hands-On Training
While this is one of the most time efficient training methods out there, it can be easy to dismiss certain employee queries and concerns if you find yourself needed elsewhere. Depending on what type of field you work within, you should take the time to show individual employees how you would like them to carry out their job.
Hands-on training encourages employees to learn on the job, and acts as an effective way of diving straight into the role. This tends to work best for those working within customer service, as there is usually a higher demand for them to be approachable and available to engage with customers sooner.
There is a higher reliance on an employee’s existing skills, and the learning resources around them that will allow them to learn more through experience. Manual workers and laborers benefit from this type of training the most because they are able to begin creating their own muscle memory and forming routine patterns of behavior.
Coaching Or Mentoring
This is similar to the hands-on method of training because it tends to involve a more experienced member of staff giving the employee suggestions, feedback, and tips while they are working. Specific mentoring can make new additions to the team feel more welcome and comfortable, and allow them to learn from a senior employee.
The biggest drawback of this training method is that you will need to sacrifice company time and allow for one of the more experienced employees to spend one-on-one time working with a new recruit. However, it can be a highly effective way for someone to learn fast and get to grips with their main duties.
For that reason, mentoring is widely seen as beneficial in the long run. This is because employees are able to learn about certain tricks or ideas that a senior member of staff has, and how the company works as a whole.
The success of this method is largely determined by how approachable and welcoming the senior member of the team is to the new recruit. For example, if they are intimidating or force them to do the tasks that they don’t want to do, then the new employee is less likely to enjoy their job and could even risk leaving the company if this is not resolved. Make sure to carefully select the person to train the new employee, and keep this in mind.
This is a less effective method of training multiply employees at once, especially if the role is customer-facing. Try to consider the number of employees that need to be trained, and plan their sessions accordingly.
Lectures
Larger groups of employees can be trained or presented with larger amounts of information in the style of a lecture. While this is one of the most effective uses of company time, it has widely been considered the lease effective training method.
This is because there is less opportunity for an in-depth discussion to be had, and there is little to no employee interaction or audience participation. For this reason, it could be worth using the instructor-led training approach, and encourage discussion and questions in a follow-up session, or at the end of the lecture.
On the other hand, another advantage of the lecture structure is that it can be a great way to incorporate guest speakers, professionals relevant to the field, or even founders of the company to address large groups of employees at once.
Although adult workers tend to be more patient and forgiving than children, nobody wants to sit through a long, somewhat boring lecture. Try to make it more interesting with participation or discussion, and ensure that you allow time for regular breaks if you feel as if the subject is a little dry but important. This can help keep employees engaged and focused on their training.
Group Discussion And Activities
This can be one of the most valuable things to integrate into other training methods as it encourages employees to digest the information, and think about it more deeply. For larger companies, it is generally recommended that you divide employees into smaller groups, so that they can ask more questions within smaller groups.
Activities can also be a great way for employees to apply what they have learned during the training. This can be anything from an online quiz, an interactive game that you could design, or something more creative such as creating posters or brochures. Depending on how creative your employees are, you could use an interactive activity to link the work back to the training and the new procedures or guidance that was presented.
On its own, this is not the most effective way to train employees. This is because there is a lack of formal information or initial instructions that they can learn from. Group discussions and activities usually follow a more structured training session such as CBT, coaching, or simulation learning.
It is a great idea to set up a dry-erase board or presentation paper during these informal discussions so that you can provide another mode of learning and communication for those who are more visual thinkers. Try to write down key points or questions that come up naturally, and see how you can work as a team to overcome certain example scenarios.
Role-Playing
A different approach to employee training that can work well in client-based workplaces is role-playing. Creating specific scenarios or challenges allows creative thinking and conflict resolution. This can be perfect for people who prefer more hands-on learning experiences.
Considering different points of view and thinking about the possible consequences of their actions is important for employees to generate the most effective outcome. Role-playing encourages people to think on their feet and explore the different options available within a given context.
The main disadvantage of this approach is that it can demand more employee time than other training methods. Depending on what type of guidance you are trying to provide, it could be worth adding a little more structure to your employee role-playing scenarios.
Another thing to consider is that this can be a little elaborate for something that is relatively simple. Role-playing is usually a better way to represent complex scenarios, to allow employees to demonstrate procedures and get themselves or a client out of a difficult situation.
Management-Specific Activities
This is specific training that is given to the managers within a company. This gives a better opportunity to discuss pressing issues, and ensure that the managers are working as efficiently and effectively as they can be.
While it is focused on the management department, the training methods are usually similar to those listed above. Depending on the needs of your managers, and how many require training, you could consider eLearning, group discussion, role-playing, or team-building exercises.
Managers will need their own amount of training specific to their job roles, but there is no reason why they need to be treated differently to the other employees. That is why management-specific activities tends to address managers meeting across departments to compare their notes, statistics, and methods of generating workflow.
Case Studies Or Other Required Reading
Depending on the type of workplace that your employees are based in, you could consider integrating a case study into the training. Try to use multiple for examples, and ask specific questions about what your employees would do in a hypothetical situation.
Employee training is not a recent development, and there is already an enormous amount of reading that is available online covering different procedures. You could organize small focus groups to examine a specific case study each, and have them present their ideas the following day, or go through each one together and break down how it applies to your workplace.
Real-life examples can be a great way to relate what has been learned into the workplace as well as the real world. Employees are more likely to understand what a particular procedure or action means when it has been presented in an example scenario.
Similarly to this, it can be beneficial for a smaller team of employees to compare their previous experiences with a particular scenario. As long as it isn’t overly personal, and they are comfortable speaking with the group, you could use this as a demonstration for why a certain procedure or guidelines are being introduced.
Which Type Of Training Is The Best For My Company?
The real challenge comes from deciding what type of training would be the best fit for your company. Try to decide what type of training you need to address, and how detailed each section needs to be. This can be a useful predictor that will determine the required time and budget.
Use the following factors to decide what type of training would be the most appropriate use of company time and resources. These should be some of the most important things that allow you to decide which method to plan your employee training session around.
Budget
Bringing in someone who is not based in the company to speak or present a lecture to employees will cost more than a manager or HR representative from guiding the training session. There is no point planning something that the company cannot afford to carry out, so you should be mindful of the total training budget and compare the overall estimated cost of each session.
Online learning can be one of the more affordable options if the basic procedures and guidelines are widely used by similar organizations. Depending on how specific your training will be, you could consider paying to use an existing computer-based learning software.
Venue and equipment hire should also be carefully considered ahead of time in order to avoid additional costs that the company cannot afford. Training sessions are not supposed to be over-the-top and highly elaborate, but you can choose to integrate certain lectures, guest speakers, or activities into a work event or company promotion to make a little more space in the budget if possible.
Additional resources such as colored copies and print out versions of case studies should also be accounted for in the total budget for training sessions. While this may not seem like the most expensive thing, there are a great number of smaller things such as these that add up and can eat away at your total budget. Try to keep track of expenses, and ensure that you are making the best use of company money and resources.
Job Role
Make sure that the training is actually relevant to your employees’ job roles.
There is no point delivering a training course that cannot be applied to their workplace, so you should carefully consider what type of guidance would help them do their job better.
Different job roles usually pair differently with certain methods of training. For example, manual work tends to be more hands-on, which is why laborers and other workers typically receive on-the-job training. Knowledge based workers, on the other hand, tend to benefit from off-the-job training because they can take the time to absorb the information and apply it to their place of work.
Try to keep your employees’ job roles in mind when you are planning the training session. This can determine what type of approach you take and how you engage them in the relevant training.
Time
It may seem like the obvious thing to engage in training sessions during company hours, but this should be allotted for ahead of time so that employees don’t have to spend several hours catching up on what they missed. Think about how much time each method will take, and how detailed the training will need to be.
Another option that will need to be accounted for is whether you want employees to complete training outside working hours. If this is the case, you should ensure that they have access to necessary resources, and that they receive compensation for the extra time spent thinking about work.
Summary
Employee training can be as detailed or as brief as you believe is necessary. Depending on your work environment, and the available resources, you should consider your options for presenting new information and engaging employees with procedures and guidance.
Think about the job role to decide whether you should adopt an on-the-job or off-the-job approach to training your employees. It is also worth comparing how each training method can be made to satisfy the different styles of learning.
Whatever method or combination you choose, make sure to allow additional time at the end to go through a case study together, or to at least engage in a discussion about the training. Try to answer any questions that emerged during the training, and see how you could approach a scenario differently using role-play.
Ensure that you are following the correct guidelines for employee training and that you are keeping your employees informed of the latest developments within the company.
We’ve covered a range of employee training methods by now, and aimed the information at guiding you towards making the right decisions for your company and your employees. Hopefully, the answers to the following questions will provide additional guidance to help you plan your next steps and training sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Different Employee Training Methods?
Some of the most frequently seen methods of training employees have been listed above. These are usually divided into on-the-job and off-the-job. Technology based learning, simulations, instructor-led learning, lectures, coaching, hands-on training, case studies, management specific training, group discussion and activities, and role-playing.
It is important to consider the amount of employees that will need to be trained, as well as the most common styles of learning in order to use a training method that works well for you and your staff.
What Are On-The-Job And Off-The-Job Training Methods?
These sound a little confusing, but they are simply referring to whether the training is done while an employee is working or if they need to spend time in an office or classroom. It is widely accepted that many manual jobs and the service industry train their employees on-the-job due to the muscle memory that they can build on from the beginning of their role.
Off-the-job training comes from the idea that employees should focus specifically on the training without having to be distracted by their regular responsibilities. These types of training sessions are usually seen in the form of conference discussions, simulations, and case studies.
Can I Combine Different Training Methods?
It is highly recommended that different methods are combined to increase the likelihood that employees retain more information. Consider combining modern methods of learning such as computer simulations with more traditional ones including brainstorming sessions or group discussions.
This can encourage employees to engage in the new guidance or procedures without having to heavily rely on supervision. Follow-up questions and activities are essential to ensure that employees have fully understood what they need to, and that they know how this will affect their regular duties.
You could integrate a case study into a presentation or group discussion to try to add another link to real-world scenarios, and see how your employees apply what they have learned.
Which Training Method Is Best For My Company?
It is up to you to determine that, because there are so many companies out there that vary in scale, size, and available resources. To figure out what training method would be the best fit for your company, it is worth considering your budget, employees’ job roles, and what type of time period can be assigned to their training.
Other things worth considering include the amount of employees likely to require training, whether there is pre-existing information available online that you can give them access to, and how specific you will need to be.
Smaller companies, for example, may benefit from organizing a group presentation or meeting to go over the latest protocol or procedures that need to be followed. For someone who is in charge of a larger team with hundreds of employees, this is not the most practical use of time.
This is because they will need to be divided into smaller groups and given the same information. More money will be spent on the relevant rooms and people who are able to give the presentations and guide discussions.
How Can I Use Easy LMS For Employee Training?
This can be a highly effective way to save money and create your own training program that works for your employees. Easy LMS encourages you to adopt a blended learning approach and allow employees to have a more proactive approach to their training. This includes having more options for at-home learning, online learning methods, or at-work platforms.
Easy LMS acts as an online platform for employees to access learning materials, training documents, quizzes, and activities. You can use this to save money on the initial training process, and allow more flexibility for group discussions or brainstorming sessions.
Consider using this for a range of employee training procedures as it can be a great way for them to learn and access the information when it suits them.