Just a few decades ago, businesses around the world were still trying to figure out how they could continuously have the best employees. The common practice was to keep hiring young professionals. This way, businesses would always have a new wave of highly educated individuals that had absorbed the latest ways of thinking. Understanding the newest technologies, this younger generation would give companies the ability to evolve and become more modern. However, we now know that does not stand up to scrutiny these days. Yes, it’s true if you hire younger professionals, your business will internally revolve and evolve at the same time. Yet, these days the number one way to truly become a modern business is to continually invest in your employees. Skills and training are the two most effective things to accomplishing your goal of modernising your business. Rather than just waiting for the next batch of graduates, you should invest in all employees.
The reasons why
Improving employee skills and training your workforce to a higher standard takes two things on your behalf. Time and money. For these two simple yet powerful reasons, you’ll be sceptical as to whether or not it will be worth it. The impact of teaching employees new skills and training them to use new equipment and procedures will be a very complex task. But no challenge that is worth doing is ever easy. Rest assured that it’s well worth the hassle and the financial risk. These are just some of the reasons why your business will benefit if you invest in your employees in these two ways.
- You’re addressing weaknesses. The number one reason why you would even contemplate teaching new skills and improving training is that you want your business to take on the challenges of the modern consumer world. Many employees may be stuck in a jam and need extra help to develop their professional attributes.
- When your employees are the smartest in the industry, you’re bound to have brilliant creative ideas as well as becoming leaner and more efficient. Productivity is going to fly to the moon, and because everybody in the office, warehouse or manufacturing plant is almost equally skilled in their respective roles, there’s less drag and disharmony among the ranks.
- It’s going to boost morale incredibly high. Competency and proficiency at work are two of the most powerful forces that can raise employee morale. When all goes well and employees can trust one another, there’s more teamwork and trust steadily builds higher and higher.
- Staying ahead of the competition is itself worth every hassle. Your employees will make everything possible in your business. Good ideas can turn into great ideas when you have employees that can think outside the box, happy to use cutting edge tools and are right at home using the latest computer technology.
On the job training
Just like apprentices, teaching your employees on the job is the most effective way of getting new information to sink in. Don’t give them a booklet to read or almost any kind of hardback reading to do. You must train your employees where they normally work. This way, they are in a familiar setting while their skills are improving. Feeling comfortable while being introduced to alien technology or information, helps employees to absorb more quickly. You need to first pinpoint what kind of training you want to give your employees. Is it to use a new online program? Maybe it’s a task management service or perhaps an inventory supply chain software you want managers to lean. Whatever it is, you must search for professional training companies that can provide you with specific training courses.
Plan the implementation of the training. Split your workforce into groups and or batches. Make sure all departments are able to continue working to an acceptable level while a portion can be trained on the job. This means excellent rata management by your middle-management employees. No area of your business should fall behind while you’re training employees.
Specific training matters
Quite obviously, you’re going to want to train employees for their exact roles. Any kind of training program needs to be specific to the purpose of the department. For those that work in your manufacturing plants, you’ll want them to learn the latest safety training. For example, if you handle hazardous materials, then modern hazmat training is going to allow your plants to work at a much better productivity level. The training is also 100% online, with detailed presentations and tests, your employees will gradually be introduced to the latest best practice codes of conduct and practice. On a convenient online platform, they will be immersed in a fully interactive learning environment. Upon completion of the exams, each employee will be awarded a certificate which will be stored in the program itself. This way managers can easily recognize which employee is capable of the new standards and which employees may need more training.
The same goes for using the latest tools and machines such as 3D printers. It’s wise to go directly to the manufacturers of the tools that you intend to buy and implement. They will always have some kind of training program as well as detailed training programs for managers especially. Using the manual books, your best employees and managers will get to grips with their tools, machines and computer systems. Slowly but surely, technology can be introduced to your business.
Performance assessment solutions
Business owners rely on their business administrators and their human resources department to give them reliable and accurate information on employee performance. It’s very common for employees to undergo a performance assessment every 2 years or so. However, most businesses do not have a combining effect whereby shortfalls in individual employees are analyzed and then offered solutions. For most businesses, they assess the shortfalls but they don’t have in-house procedures that would help the employees improve. Normally, this is outsourced and employees are told to attend various courses and training programs. This is both expensive and it doesn’t solve the problem for the younger generation of professionals that will be joining your business.
Therefore, it’s very wise to have your own training program because you’re using your best employees to train others instead. On the other hand, if you can work with a training company and have their services brought to your business premises, you would not be at a knowledge disadvantage. The trouble is, when employees go to another business to be trained, that knowledge they are absorbing isn’t understood or absorbed by your own business. They just come back and pass the test. But having a training program in your own building and or office will land the knowledge into your own business structure.
Skills and training are two of the most important aspects of improving your business. Regardless of tools, machines, software and practices, your employees are the entity that will see your business evolve and grow. If an employee is struggling and failing a performance assessment, have them join a training program that’s inside your own business. A good option for training your employees without diminishing your workforce numbers is by using online programs. They have real exams and they can easily transfer information of each profile to your managers. Step by step you can track the improvement of your employees using such a method. But remember, whatever training you do decide to give your employees, make sure it’s on the job. The best benefit from improving skills and training, is you keep ahead of your competitors regarding talent pool.
