Giving new employees the training they will need to succeed difficult for any employer. On the one hand, providing employees with all the necessary information relevant to a job is essential. Still, at the same time, it is equally essential to prevent information overload by not giving them too much to learn.
There is a balance between the two that is a key to success, and it’s different depending on the business and job position. This is where developing an employee training plan comes into play. Creating an employee training plan that works best for everyone will likely take several attempts and plenty of trial and error, but it is well worth the effort.
Developing an employee train involves a lot of working parts, and getting the basics down is the best place to begin. This article will cover many of those basics that make a good employee training plan, so read on for all the details to get the ball rolling.
Four simple steps to developing the best employee training plan at any company
Here are four steps to start building up a training plan for employees:
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Mind the Progression
The progression of any training plan is possibly an essential part, as it’s the path that an employer lays out for an employee to follow. It has to make sense from a continuity perspective, and otherwise, employees will find it hard to follow.
Here is an actual example to illustrate this. If a fast-food restaurant hires someone who will work both in the kitchen and at the cash register, the training plan will train them for both tasks. However, a good training plan will separate all the information about working in the kitchen from working at the cash register.
The employee will experience less information overload and general confusion because they can go through both sections separately. In contrast, they might find themselves confused if the training plan constantly switches back and forth between providing information about working in the kitchen and information about working at the cash register.
A smooth progression that maintains consistency makes for the most accessible learning experience. And when an employee can take on each section without issue, it means they will not only learn better, but they will also learn faster and be ready to start the job sooner.
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Keep the delivery of every section simple
With maintaining consistency in mind, the next step to creating a successful employee training plan involves the construction of each section. While there are many things that complexity can positively affect, an employee training plan is not one of them.
The simpler a training plan is, the better, as a lack of complexity reduces the chances of a new employee getting confused. And there are some jobs where it may seem as though there is no way to explain them in simple terms, but nine times out of ten, there’s almost always a simple way to describe the tasks of a job.
In the rare instances where that is not the case, the next best thing to do is keep the language in a training plan simple. Be it a training plan that some orates or a training plan written down and given to employees to go through at their own pace, cutting down on as much complicated language as possible will go a long way in the learning process.
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Overcome information overload by making each section digestible
Staying in the same area as the previous point, making each section of a training plan digestible is another way to foster employee learning.
The longer a specific section of a training plan goes on, the more likely the employee will experience information overload and mental fatigue. Do not make any section of the training plan overly lengthy to alleviate this issue. Ensuring that all the sections are as uniform in size as possible is another good tactic.
Having employees spend an equal amount of time on every section will increase the chances of retaining the most significant amounts of information from each section and overcoming the risk of information overload. It will also give employees consistent breaks between sections to further cut down on information overload.
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Include the training alongside the tasks of the job
The last strategy that can aid employees in effective learning is including the training plan alongside actual tasks that employees will have to do on the job. Sometimes, it is not feasible to include every task for various reasons, but incorporating as many tasks as possible will significantly helps employees retain learning.
Learning the information and then applying it in a hands-on situation is an excellent way to ensure employees learn from the training plan. It is also a great way to see if the training plan adequately prepares them for their jobs. Employees can learn from the training plan and never know if what they are remembering works unless they do the tasks.
There is also no real reason to hold off on having employees attempt the tasks of their jobs until after they go through all their training. A training plan will only benefit from including actual tasks with the information it teaches to employees, so the best training plans should always include them where possible.
Conclusion
These essential points will all factor into developing the best employee training plan. However, many more aspects will require consideration, as the topics of this article are primarily for setting up the foundation of an employee training plan. Without them, no employee training plan will reach its maximum potential, so it is impossible to overstate their importance.
Despite that, the best employee training plan ultimately comes down to how well the employer understands the job they ask employees to do. If the employer knows the job well and follows these essential points to build a strong foundation, the rest of the building blocks will fall into place seamlessly.
