Employee training programs are a critical investment for employers. By providing employee training and development opportunities, employers set themselves up for success by ensuring employees have the information and skills they need to succeed in their chosen positions. But they also improve employee retention, raise employee satisfaction, and often create a deeper level of investment in their jobs.
Employee training programs can take several forms, depending on the employer’s needs. Understanding available training programs and options can help employers select the ideal solutions for their unique needs.
The benefits of employee training and development programs
Employee training programs shouldn’t be just an afterthought for you as a small business owner. In fact, they can be a critical investment that will allow you to improve many aspects of your company.
Improve employee engagement
Only around 34% of employees are actively engaged in the workplace. Many employees are doing just enough to get by without actively participating in the workplace environment. When you provide comprehensive training for your employees, however, you considerably increase their engagement. You also provide them with more information about the importance of the tasks they perform every day.
Enhance soft skills
Soft skills are some of the most important for many employees. Training alone may not help with things like emotional control. But it can improve employees’ communication skills, build leadership skills, enhance time management, or provide greater levels of awareness regarding the skills employees need to be successful every day.
Pay attention to your employees’ existing skill sets as you consider their training needs. Then utilize templates or select seminars that will help them fill in skill gaps and enhance their overall knowledge.
Improve job satisfaction
Today’s employees want to learn. Many of them are eager to advance in their careers, including developing the skills they need to excel in their current workplace and the future. By offering comprehensive employee training initiatives that include career development opportunities, you can increase overall job satisfaction and provide employees with a deeper sense of connection to your company as a whole. That, in turn, can aid in employee retention and even help with your recruitment efforts.
Types of Employee Training Programs
There are many types of employee training programs, and the one you choose will depend on your specific needs. Whether you choose e-learning programs or in-person learning, carefully consider the types of classes and training opportunities that will best fit your business’s and your employees’ needs. Make sure you consider possible skills gaps and what types of learners you will most likely have in your company. Then you can design effective employee training programs to meet those needs.
Onboarding training programs
Onboarding is a critical part of the employee experience. Your onboarding process sets the stage for what employees can expect through all their interactions with your company. If they have a positive onboarding experience, employees are likely to have a strong opinion of the company.
Onboarding training programs may include a number of key elements, including the following:
Basic orientation
There are several vital things your employees need to know before they can be successful members of your company. As a small business owner, you may outsource your HR, payroll, or other essential tasks. Your employees need to know how to access essential materials and who to get in contact with if they have problems. There’s likely additional key information about your company that you want to share. Basic orientation may also include information about your company, brand, and employer expectations.
Essential skills training
As part of the onboarding process, you want to ensure that employees have the skills to manage daily tasks. That may include:
- How to use essential software
- How to operate machinery or equipment
- The processes for handling any essential operations
New employees should receive mentoring and support as part of their essential skills training. This gives them the direct, one-on-one advice and connection they need to advance in their careers.
Compliance training
As a small business, it can be difficult to ensure that you remain in compliance with all local, federal, and industry guidelines. Not only do you need more tools, but it may be more difficult to ensure that your employees have received all necessary training related to that process. However, compliance training is an essential part of the employee development process. Your employees need to:
- Know industry standards and requirements
- Understand reporting mechanisms and requirements
- Have the tools to get further information when required
Your employees may also need to receive training on company policies and practices so that they can better follow your specific requirements and continue to meet standards. Some compliance training requirements will include annual training for all employees. Make sure you have employee training plans in place that cover those essentials and allow employees to update any needed certifications annually.
Safety training
Safety training can vary dramatically from one company to the next. Your employee training programs need to address that essential element. Safety training can include:
- Safe materials handling or machinery operation
- Required safety equipment and how to access it
- How to report any incidents or safety issues
Safety training must cover not only your company’s standards but also anything like OSHA standards for your specific industry. If your business is not in compliance, it can cause significant problems and lead to immense fines—not to mention put your employees in danger.
Quality assurance training programs
When you put out products, you want to ensure that they are the high standard of quality your customers expect every time. To continue to provide that high quality, however, you must ensure that everyone from your new hires to your seasoned employees has a strong understanding of the level of quality you expect and how they can ensure that your products continue to deliver on that quality. Quality assurance training, as part of your employee training program, goes a long way toward ensuring that employees can recognize the difference between a good product and a substandard one.
Not only do quality assurance training programs ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to move forward with their daily job responsibilities, but they can also help ensure that employees know your products and have a strong understanding of some of the most important elements of your company culture, including your commitment to your employees.
Leadership training
As your employees grow in their skills and positions, you may want to move them into leadership roles. Team members can engage in training courses that help them develop leadership skills that can help them move up in the work environment. These range from becoming more positive members of the team to becoming more effective leaders who are ideally positioned to raise employee morale, manage and guide employees, and provide support to those beneath them in the company hierarchy. They can also learn:
- Conflict resolution
- Decision-making skills
- Increased emotional intelligence skills
- How to measure and rate employee performance
Through management training, employees can learn to step into new roles within the company. That means you can upskill existing employees to fill open roles, allowing you to promote from within.
Team training
Team building training sessions are often as important as providing employees with new skills to guide them in their career efforts. Effective teams have a strong sense of connection to one another. Through online training or in-person professional development opportunities, you can provide employees with the tools they need to enhance those connections and develop a deeper appreciation for one another. Team training can be part of greater soft skills training. Alternatively, it can be a standalone segment that utilizes a template specifically designed to enhance employee connection.
Technical training
Technology is constantly changing, and employees need increased tools to help them meet new guidelines and accomplish new goals. Technical training, whether through online courses utilizing a learning management system or in-person training designed to provide a hands-on approach to learning, can help with skills development as employees are learning how to effectively utilize new technologies. It focuses on the technical skills employees need to get their jobs done, whether that means focusing on specific skills needed to help them effectively utilize new technology or providing a deeper understanding that can help fill in knowledge gaps and make employees more successful in their current and future careers.
Technical training is often one of the most effective places to utilize online learning. An LMS system can guide learners through the various tools and strategies they need to become more skilled in their position.
Let Docebo help with your employee training
With Docebo, you can create highly effective online lessons that utilize a variety of training methods to bring your employees’ skills to a new level. You can use a variety of training types and solutions to enhance employee learning, provide them with new tools, and help them achieve their personal and professional goals.
