Every organization must consider how to keep employees up-to-date with new policies, procedures, and business practices. Employee training programs are vital to this process. Prior to implementing a training program, HR managers and training supervisors must consider several things.
The first task is to complete a needs analysis. Matt McKay of Demand Media explained that this process involves identifying weak areas within the organization to determine where training would prove to be beneficial. This may include software training, customer service refresher courses, leadership development workshops, or HR policy classes.
The second step that must be taken is to define organizational goals, both short and long term to see how the organization will benefit from the training. Will new or revised courses prepare employees to handle an upcoming project? Will the training be used in conjunction with workforce planning strategies to ensure that there are enough qualified individuals to meet future organizational needs?
Another important step in implementing a successful training program is to constantly review its merit. Why is the program important? How much of the training is actually being transferred to employee job duties? And of course, what is the hard return? HR managers have a responsibility to follow up with department managers and employees after the training is complete. They should ask important questions like: Was the training material relevant? What other skills or knowledge should be addressed in future training sessions? Training should be used as a way to keep employees prepared for daily business operation and unexpected occurrences, not as a reactionary measure to a present problem.
Last, organizations must recognize that training is an ongoing process. It’s not just one course or seminar that makes the difference, it’s the ongoing process that matters. As businesses grow and evolve to match environmental demand, training and refresher courses become increasingly important to continued success.
Related articles:
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/developing-effective-employee-training-program-1181.html
http://www.trainingmag.com/content/5-tips-successful-training-program