Effectively training existing and new staff is one of the best ways to ensure the job satisfaction, productivity and retention of your staff. Whether you are looking to ensure your staff members have up-to-date skills or that new employees can swiftly fulfil their intended role, here are the top 3 ways to train staff.
Big Picture Approach
To ensure your staff and new employees are clear on the expectations and goals of your business or company it’s a good idea to take a big picture approach. For new staff this means spending the first week or two with them in a general duties role, rotating through departments or areas to understand the workflow and ethos of your company. It exposes them to the big-picture view of your operation and allows them to witness first-hand the different roles within each department.
Another benefit is that it allows the skills of your recruit to shine through, giving you insight into their strengths and weaknesses in varying roles.
For existing staff, it’s important to revisit the idea of the company ethos and expose them to other potential roles within the corporation. This can be incorporated into staff in-service days or by rotating staff into departments they may be interested in.
Training Materials
As in all areas of business, your training is only as good as the documentation that backs it up. No matter the size of your business, all staff should be provided with training manuals and a policy and procedure document. These critical documents indicate the expectations of the company, the training process and the procedures should anything fail to go to plan.
Training materials should also reflect the professional standards of your business, incorporating your logo, and company charter, so it’s worth considering having them printed professionally.
Companies such as The Print Group specialise in business documents such as training manuals, providing a print to order service that ensures your materials are up to date – check out a breakdown of their services at this URL.
Mentoring
One of the best in-house ways to up-skill and train your staff is to provide them with a mentor. This is usually a person with exceptional skills in a leadership role.
The benefit of mentors is that they provide a great training tool and also a means for problem resolution, should the employee face any challenges in their new job or in transition to a higher-level appointment within the company. It also provides a senior employee whom the new recruit is directly answerable to and who can oversee the trainee in their day-to-day duties, providing advice, assistance and a point of contact.
Training staff is one of business’ biggest investment involving time, resources and funds. To ensure it is a worthwhile one, it should be conducted thoroughly and consistently for each new appointment. That way your staff feel comfortable and confident in their new role and the company reaps the benefits of its investment. What are your tried and tested training tips?