4 Secrets About Employee Training From Top HR People

The less you know about your employees, the harder it will be for you to create an environment for them to thrive. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of four “secrets” about employee training that all executives and managers should uncover.

1. Employees Want Easy Access to Learning and Development

   Your employees are busy (hopefully, that comes as no surprise). What may surprise you is that most employees wish they had easy access to continued learning whenever they have an opportunity to take advantage of it. Your employees want to learn more – they want to know how to excel at their jobs. And they want you to provide them with the opportunity to learn more, all the time.

   One way to accomplish this is to create a library of training videos, slide shows, or mini courses that your employees can view whenever they have a few minutes. Microtraining makes it easy for employees to quickly learn something new when they have some free time or delve deeper into a topic when they have a larger window of time available. Professional conferences, leadership training, and annual refreshers also provide the learning opportunities your employees desire. The format is less important than the knowledge to be gleaned.

2. Employees Want to Provide Input on Training

   You know you need to train your employees on certain topics, policies, and procedures. But what you may not know is that your employees want to learn about things you’re not currently teaching them. In fact, many employees report that the simple gesture of being asked to provide input on training approaches and topics leads them to view their employer in a better light.

   Your employees are on the front lines of your company and they’re the ones that spot problems and opportunities a mile away. They’re also the ones who truly rely on training to make every customer experience a positive one. If you’re in the process of revamping your training program, it only makes sense to ask for your employees’ feedback.

   The simplest way to gather employee feedback is to put together a brief survey for them to fill out. You can ask what they like or dislike about your current training program, request future training topic ideas, encourage suggestions for improvement, and find out what they need to learn to succeed at their job, grow within the company, and excel as a professional. When you ask for their opinions, you’re showing that you respect and value their contribution to your organization.<//p>

3. Employees Want to Be Empowered

   No one wants to feel like a grunt, a lowly employee with no power and no say in their professional life. Your employees are working hard to succeed in their jobs while seeking a better future for themselves and their families – and they saw your company as a way to achieve that dream. The last thing they want is to find company-imposed obstacles in their way to success. Most employees want to be empowered by their employer to excel at work and at life. The more you empower your employees with information, opportunity, and development, the faster you will all thrive.

4. Employees Want to Be Successful

   Your employees did not apply to join your team with high hopes of failure. They do not come to work every day with the desire to let you, the team, or themselves down. Your employees crave success!

   The best way to help empower, educate, and motivate your employees to succeed is to provide them with the training and tools they need, as well as the ones they want. When you offer a variety of training programs – from orientation to refresher training to continuing education, you make it clear that you’re as invested in their success as they are.