6 Types of Training To Improve Employee Performance

Intro

Everybody has different strengths and weaknesses, and all employees have tasks they excel at and tasks where they could use some improvement. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of your employees is the first step toward getting them the type of training they need to improve their performance.

Six Types of Training To Improve Performance

Great leaders recognize employees ready to step up and assume additional responsibilities in the workplace. Whether you manage on-site employees or hybrid staff, training should be an essential task for any company because it helps foster creativity while also building team spirit among coworkers.

Training is how you position an employee for success in a new role — but which training method is most effective?

The answer depends on the result you want to achieve. Below are six different types of training to improve employee performance.

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Leadership Training

Is your floor manager ready to become a store manager? Does a member of your regional team prepared to transition to a more significant national role? If so, you need leadership training.

A major multi-international corporation, "JJM," undertook a unique training perspective to increase diversity on the management team. JJM developed a program open only to women and underrepresented minorities. The company also hired a top-level Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

JJM utilized a variety of diversity training programs, including coaching, webinars, and in-person modules. Today, the JJM team is much more diversified, with programs to ensure that diversity will continue. The company is also much more transparent with its diversity data than it used to be, and that change in corporate culture has resulted in high marks on employee review sites like Glassdoor.

Apprentice Training

In an age of digital SOPs and online "learning modules," it's easy to overlook apprentice training. But one-on-one, hands-on training with an experienced professional is one of the fastest and most comprehensive training methods. Through apprenticeship, acquire a moral compass and solid work habits for sound business practices.

Skills advisor Andrew McDermott used apprentice training to launch his career. Taking an apprentice position as a Recreation Assistant at a sports center allowed McDermott to earn a wage while learning all of the ins and outs of sports training.

He also made a series of contacts with people who later helped him along his later career path. McDermott still maintains a close relationship with his mentor 14 years later.

Apprentice training keeps businesses alive and on the cutting edge.

Refresher Training

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From the corner office to the janitorial department, everybody in your organization could use a refresher training course to recall and reinforce previously acquired skills.

The Business Industrial Network looked at the "half-life" of employee training and uses case studies to support refresher training every couple of years.

A study of operational failures at a large chemical plant found most resulted from improper training. The company's $60,000 investment into refresher training paid for itself in about three months in the form of reduced operational failures. BIN found the failure rate at the chemical plant would slowly increase over time. Refresher training courses every couple got the numbers back on track.

Training your staff on how to use office equipment will save you time and money. For example, you can easily save money for your business by ordering your printing supplies from online retailers (like Toner Buzz, 123office.com, and others) instead of buying from over-priced big-box stores. This is an easy and quick win.

However, if what you bought at a low price is not properly utilized, it may still be costly. Therefore even the simplest forms of employee training such as teaching your staff how to properly use office equipment and supplies can lead to tangible monetary benefits for your business. \

Induction Training

One of the most important — and forgotten aspects of business is employee onboarding. Training new employees right, and you'll avoid a lot of bad work habits and troublesome retraining down the road.

IBM's innovative approach to employee induction training has earned high marks among business analysts. The IBM induction program lasts a full two years and introduces new employees to the technical, cultural, and personal aspects of the job.

It's expensive to train new employees and keep them at a high-performance level. But good onboarding leads to good retention. IBM's induction training focuses on the company and its opportunities rather than merely the job role. This inclusive and encompassing company welcome fosters a sense of commitment and community that utilizes each employee's personal experience.

Teamwork Training

Let me hear you say it! TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK! Get your staff working together towards a common goal with teamwork training.

According to Deloitte, teams have a better ability than individuals at learning and adapting much faster. Training your employees in a team environment not only helps you build better relationships with them but also increases engagement and productivity.

A group of motivated individuals will challenge each other to come up with new ideas that could never be accomplished alone - what's more important than giving workers opportunities for growth?

Time Management Training

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Make the most of your time and productivity, and spread that culture across all departments of your business. Productive employees make the most of their time and budget it wisely.

Phil in the UK learned to prioritize his time with the time matrix system. Phil used to eat lunch at his desk and still felt he was always falling behind on work projects. Helping coworkers took up part of Phil's typical workday.

Time management training helped Phil learn to prioritize his time and tasks and make time for destressing. Breaking his workday down into manageable tasks, adopting a good scheduling program, and learning to say no to needy coworkers helped Phil become happier and more effective at work.

Different Training Methods

• On-the-job Training - This method allows employees to learn hands-on while earning. On-the-job training methods can vary from job instruction training to coaching to job rotation, where the staff plays "musical chairs" with different business roles to get a better idea of workflow and coworker tasks. Improving the performance of the private investigators matters.
• Simulations Training - Playing "let's pretend" works for kindergarten teachers, and it's an effective way to train staff. Role-play is essential when training sales and customer service representatives. Management games tackle business theory and practical tacts. Case methods compare "real world" examples to find the best business practices.
• Knowledge-based Training - Every business has its community of peers and professionals. Use resources like lectures, seminars, and conventions to improve employee performance, or even sales trainings for your sales team so they become certified too. Knowledge-based training is also useful when employees need to learn another language. Taking online French language lessons, for instance, could be helpful if your company operates in territories like Quebec and France. Knowledge-based training also incorporates language learning, which is becoming increasingly relevant in today's global business environment. For instance, employees can engage in online Spanish lessons to help them communicate better with international clients. Many professionals have taken this route to achieve fluency in Spanish and have seen significant improvements in their career prospects.

You can also help your employees improve their digital skills by providing them with the right digital tools they need to succeed. If they’re heavily involved in web-based work and find themselves at a loss on how certain things should be done or what software is best suited for beginners, then give them basic technical knowledge on building and editing websites.

• **Experimental Methods **- New and emerging concepts — like sensitivity and emotional intelligence training — make workplaces safer, more inclusive, and more productive. Studies show a link between EI training and improved STEM (The Situational Test of Emotion Management) and STEU (The Situational Test of Emotion Understanding) scores.

The Road To Peak Performance

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Training is an effective way to improve employee performance and increase productivity.

Pro Tip: Use digital productivity tools to improve your team’s efficiency.

Consider each person's strengths and weaknesses when creating job roles and sales goals. Good training positions your employees for success. Continuous learning — and refresher courses — are good for business!

It’s equally important what your employees think of your organization. You can attract new employees based on employee testimonials — show them how they can expect to be treated. It is really important to show that you value your staff, that is the way to attract the best talents.