Training new employees is an integral part of being a supervisor or hiring manager. However, training new employees and having them grasp all your material is easier said than done. Far too often, managers get frustrated because a new employee doesn’t understand a concept or strategy. With that in mind, sometimes the fault is within the training itself and not the new team members.
Table of Contents
Training New Employees
Here are the three common mistakes supervisors make when conducting their sessions to clear the air about employee training.
1. Moving Too Quickly
It’s widely understood that time is an invaluable resource. As a result, companies try to get things done as quickly as possible to save time. After all, time is money. However, rushing employee learning will only cost more in the long run.
If you offload tons of information onto trainees in one or two sessions, the chances of digesting and retaining it all are slim to none. Proper learning requires adequate communication, hands-on experience, practice, and constructive feedback.
For example, Learn to Win, a company that offers time-efficient training programs, uses similar principles to help people retain information faster.
Unfortunately, these factors can’t be rushed, especially considering the average attention span for adults is 20 minutes. While some new employees might understand the concepts quickly, most people need a bit of time before they are ready to put their knowledge to good use.
2. Not Telling Your Employees Why They Need Training
You can spend countless hours teaching somebody how to do something, but they won’t excel unless they know why they’re doing it. If an employee knows why this information is essential, they will put more effort toward learning it.
Giving your employees a reason for learning will empower them to retain the information as quickly as possible. For example, let’s say your company is using new software for your billing. Learning how to use the software will free up more time for your employees and allow your company to generate more revenue.
Now, your employees have motivation (freeing up time), and the company can prosper (generate more revenue). This is an often overlooked step in training new employees so be sure you communicate why your sessions are must-attend events.
3. Not Using the Right Trainer
Perhaps the most critical component of training is the trainers themselves. Having the right person to lead the new employees will significantly increase the chances of a successful training session. A good trainer isn’t only someone good at the skill, but also has strong verbal communication skills.
Moreover, the trainees should have full access to the trainer and their knowledge. Your employees should feel comfortable reaching out to the leader for help, and that only works if the trainer is approachable.
You can have an outstanding training program, but it won’t do any good if the trainer doesn’t know how to lead.
Final Thoughts
Training employees can be a daunting task. Not only is it a vital part of being a leader, but it is also crucial for a company to scale. Luckily, there are ways to improve employee learning.
Consider the mistakes above and avoid them if you want to refine your employee training process.
