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Step Up to Staff Training – A Simple 4-Step Model

Written by: Janet Dean

Article Overview: Staff training is important and yet oft forgotten in small and growing businesses - here is a simple 4 step model on how to make sure your staff get the training they need (and you profit from).

Step Up to Staff Training – A Simple 4-Step Model

It’s easy to overlook staff training, probably even forgivable. After all, there are
probably a million other things seemingly more important that demand your
attention – budgets, schedules, the bottom line.

The reality is that the importance of staff training is paramount. Staff training means
much more than simply training your staff. It is about providing better experiences
for your clients and customers, but it is also about providing a workplace that is
creative and motivating.

How do you feel when your organization makes you feel important? You probably
feel valued, and want to show your appreciation by working harder or going the
extra mile. The same goes for your staff. The more they feel their organization is
investing in them, the more willing they are to take it to the next level.
Training staff also helps spread the knowledge around. It’s like the old adage about
wearing fresh underwear in case a bus hits you. What happens if a bus hits the only
person in your organization that knows how to do payroll, and it’s the 15th of the
month? How will your employees get paid? If four people know how to perform a
function compared to just one person, the odds are four times greater that a more
efficient, faster or simply better method can be found. Ultimately, this creates an
environment that fosters creativity and learning.

Finally, it is important for the people in charge of performing the training to be “in
the loop” about the latest techniques, data and trends. This ensures your trainers
keep up to date, and pass it along to other staff members, thus ensuring your
organization isn’t falling behind the competition.

Step 1
Once you decide your employees need training you must first set goals. This step is
essential to any form of success, but it is especially relevant when beginning staff
training. It is imperative that you ask your staff what they want to achieve and learn.
You must also determine what you want the training to accomplish and how you will
evaluate the results.

While asking your employees what they want to accomplish, ask them how they
learn the best. It’s probable that a percentage of your employees excel in group
learning environments, while some prefer mentoring from senior employees and
others prefer one-on-one training. Make sure that whoever is providing the training
does so in a group setting that is interactive but also allows for private discussion
and learning. And remember, peer-to-peer learning builds trust and develops bonds
between employees.

Step 2
The next step is to identify who will provide the training. If you are hiring a
company, ask colleagues for recommendations. If that doesn’t work, find an
individual or company and ask them for references.

Step 3
Now you must finish identifying the 5 W’s. You should have already determined who
will provide the training and what it will cover. Now decide where and when it will
take place and how it will be done (Will all your employees be trained at once, or will
you split them into groups? Will it be a seminar or a workshop?).

Step 4
Finally, you must evaluate the training. Yes, you must evaluate how the learning was
transferred to your employees, but it is essential that you also ask them for their
opinions. Do this through a survey that allows anonymity, but also in a group setting
that allows discussion. And, make sure you keep all the evaluations and reviews for
future use.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your training will be focused,
effective and what your employees feel they need – not just what you feel
they need. This will lead to better moral, higher work ethic, better experiences for
your clients and customers and ultimately more success for your organization.

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Article Tags: bottom line, budgets, creativity, experiences, extra mile, next level, odds, old adage, payroll, staff members, staff training, step 1, underwear



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