It’s no mystery that employees are eager for their employers to offer training — training that goes well beyond “how to do your job.” Study after study has revealed that opportunities for growth and development are a major factor in employee satisfaction and loyalty. And when employees don’t have opportunities to learn new skills, they are likely to leave and find an employer who will provide those learning opportunities.
However, that doesn’t mean that people are desperate for just any type of training, and will be satisfied with a few random technology seminars on how to use new software. For training to be received as a true benefit, and to be meaningful, it needs to meet a few key criteria. Therefore, if you are thinking about implementing a technology training program, consider some of these “most wanted” qualities according to employees.
1. Training Should Build Specific Skills for Their Current and Future Jobs
According to one study, about 70 percent of employees across all levels of their career believe that training is important to their career success, and nearly as many believe that training should be focused on helping them do their jobs better, and preparing them to move forward in their careers.
For example, in IT this could mean offering online IT training that helps your team prepare for certification exams. Your business benefits from a certified staff, while your employees are better suited for growth and development in their careers.
Therefore, when developing training programs, focus on those opportunities that build specific skills, whether getting more from the programs they use every day to improve productivity and efficiency, or higher level pursuits like advanced IT certifications.
2. Training Should Be Flexible
Not everyone learns the same way. Some people learn best in an instructor-led environment, where they can ask questions and have guidance through the materials. Others are more self-directed learners, who learn by doing and practicing on their own.
When you offer a variety of training opportunities across the spectrum, from lunch-and-learn seminars to tuition reimbursement for university courses, and everything in between, your employees are more likely to take advantage of them and be satisfied that they are engaged in something valuable.
Most importantly, though, regardless of the delivery method, employees should have plenty of opportunity to implement their learning as soon as possible to move your company forward toward its goals.
3. Training Should Be Relevant
Little frustrates employees more than sitting through training that feels irrelevant. Again, they prefer training that’s specifically related to their jobs, but they will still appreciate training that helps them build skills in relation to the overall goals and mission of your company. It’s important that all training programs clearly align with your company’s strategic mission, and that employees understand how the training supports their role in those pursuits.
Relevancy also refers to how and when you deliver training to your employees. Ideally, training should be easily digestible and delivered in a manner that’s most consistent with the material and employee preference.
For example, a series of online, on-demand videos demonstrating how to complete complex technological tasks that employees can watch independently can provide training “on the fly,” and allow employees to seek training when they need it most. Other types of training, such as communication skills, may be best delivered in a classroom or seminar format.
In short, training shouldn’t be one size fits all, and programs need to be developed with the ultimate audience and goal in mind so as to ensure that it’s relevant.
Employers that have implemented technology training programs that are skills-based, relevant, and customized find report better results and return on investment than those who take a more informal or scattershot approach to training. However, it’s also important to remember that in some cases, the results of training are not immediately measurable — or even quantifiable at all. It may take some time to observe the benefits of training, as demonstrated by employee satisfaction and productivity, and reduced turnover.
If you aren’t sure of where to begin implementing training programs, consider surveying your employees to determine what they need and want, and use their responses as a starting point. You may be surprised by what you learn, but when you do, your investment will prove more worthwhile — and you’ll see real results.
