The following information is from an interview with Molly Kelley, Human Resource Business Partner at Xenium.
The demand for Training and Development continues to increase as employers realize that it is a significant driver for employees. This is a form of recognition and reward that is greater than money for most, which is cost-effective for employers, but more importantly, gives employees the skills they need to perform well and advance throughout the company.
“We saw a huge increase in the need and desire for training and development when the economy started to crash as a way to encourage retention and growth.”
Training expert Molly Kelley of Xenium HR provides tips on planning and producing successful training sessions that promote positive change.
Four Steps for Successful Training
1. Choose a Topic
When deciding on the content for a training session, it is wise to reach out to employees to find out what they are interested in learning more about or what skills they would like to further develop.
2. Select a Trainer
If the content to be delivered is on a topic outside of the company’s area of expertise, an outside expert should be brought in who has the experience and knowledge necessary to deliver a thorough training. For other topics, information might be more meaningful coming from someone within the company who is aware of the environment and familiar with the linguistics of the business.
“One thing that we enjoy on the Xenium side is working closely with clients to customize the training to address specific pain points, finding existing knowledge within the organization to either train the trainer, or deliver a training that fits the needs of the organization.”
3. Encourage Attendance
When trainings are tailored to the specific needs of the company or audience, employees will want to attend. This is why it is important to choose the content based on employees desires and interests.
“I tend to lean away from mandatory attendance for most training topics, hoping instead that management is able to encourage and inspire attendance.”
Sometimes information is too important for a training to not be required, for example, harassment prevention. In this case, the same message needs to be heard by managers and employees so it is common to have a company-wide training with a follow-up session for managers, considering their responsibilities are different than that of an employee.
When management makes the decision to make attendance required, it is important for them to preview the training to know what is going to be put forth. If a training goes poorly, then the message can be lost.
4. Follow-Up
The goal of training is to effect change, so allow employees a moment after the session to reflect on the information they gained and to note any action items. Managers should check-in with employees to set goals that will help them implement these changes. A form requesting feedback on the length, topic and quality of information is key to planning future sessions.