4 Ways to Have Better Employee Trainings

When employees hear the words “employee training,” it often triggers feelings of dread for the upcoming training date and/or sighs of boredom just thinking about it.

What have your experiences been like when trained in past workplaces? Was it a good experience? Or were you literally counting the seconds on the clock until it ended?

Training is required for any employee to perform their job well – whether it is a group onboarding type of training or a 1:1 setting where they are learning the intricacies of their specific role. In this blog, I’ll share 4 ways to better train your team so that it is less boring, takes less of your time, and be much more effective!

1. Bite-sized Learning: Also known as Microlearning, bite-sized learning breaks down information into small, manageable chunks instead of subjecting attendees to long (and often boring, lets be honest!) uninterrupted sessions. This is especially important for small companies where everyone is busy and wears a lot of hats. When I say bite-sized, I mean that these trainings can be as short as under 5 minutes!
2. Record them: Have you ever considered recording your trainings? You can do this super easily in a free program such as Vimeo or Loom. The videos do not need to be fancy to get the job done! You can even consider having a more experienced employee help you with these videos – you don’t need to always be the one recording them. It will be good for new employees to see other employees in the videos too! Record once – train forever!
3. Structure: Even bite-sized learnings can have a simple structure for more effectiveness. Consider formatting your trainings with these key pieces:
   • Time frame: What trainees can expect (how long the training will be, quick overview of what they will learn, how it is applicable to them, where to go for more information, etc)
   • Break it up: For in-person and/or longer trainings, consider breaking the trainings up with quick and fun activities/exercises to keep attendees’ interest and get them more engaged in the learning. Did you know that including quick applicable exercises/activities in a training can help the attendees retain the information longer?
   • Takeaways: Ask them what their biggest takeaways were during and at the end of the training to see what stuck/what they learned. This ensures that they were listening! It can also help others when someone shares what stood out to them. If the training is recorded, ask them to reach out after they watch and tell you a couple key takeaways they had.
4.  Last, but not least...
   • White space: If you have a Power Point as part of your training, be sure not to overwhelm the attendees with too many words/busyness on your slides.
   • Keep to time limit: For in-person trainings, ALWAYS stick to the time frame you promise! (This is a great reason to pre-record trainings.) If it is crucial to go overtime, always, always, always ask their permission for a few more minutes – but this should not be the norm! You may need to cut a training short and revisit another time if they cannot stay. You will make your attendees not want to attend more of your trainings if you always go over the set time.
   • Check in: See how they are doing periodically throughout the training. Give attendees frequent breaks and pause your presentation here and there to ask questions and check in on how they are doing. Rambling on and on with everyone zoned out is ineffective and wastes everyone’s time!

Implementing these quick tips will guarantee more effective trainings in your organization! Give them a try and see what happens. If you found this information helpful you may want to consider becoming an Expedition HR Subscriber or participate in the next HR Jumpstart Training Program. You could also have us speak at your next company event or schedule one of our Leadership Trainings. We look forward to hearing from you soon!