Choosing the right person or people to train your staff isn’t always easy, but it’s a significant part of the success of any training program. By contrast, the wrong trainer or trainers can hold your employees back; it might be down to their style of delivery or approach or something more abstract, such as failing to gel with your organisation’s learning culture. We share the four most common training mistakes you need to avoid:
1. Unclear objectives and goals
No matter which training topics you plan on covering with your staff, having a defined set of objectives or goals for the process is crucial. Without this kind of structure, it can become very challenging to determine whether or not your training is successful and how much your employees are gaining from it.
With that being said, it can appear, at face value, difficult to assign particular goals or skills to training in certain areas. For instance, if you’re trying to help your staff develop their problem-solving abilities, what goals should you set for them along the way? In cases like these, it’s important not to rely too heavily on standardised testing or assessments; simply completing various parts of the course can be a great place to start.
2. Not keeping in mind employee learning speed
Beyond team dynamics and company culture, another factor that can influence how quickly your staff can complete their training is that we all take in and retain information at varying paces. Even highly skilled employees may learn at a different speed from others, so be aware that having a rigid or fixed timeline for training is not always appropriate.
3. Slowing down training
Expecting staff to dedicate time outside of work hours to their training is one of the worst things you can do for their morale and workplace engagement. Research shows that 74% of employees prefer to learn during their spare time at work rather than after hours. Allocating them a minimum of 30 minutes a day for carrying out tasks or research supplemental to their training is a great way to ensure they can keep on top of everything while maintaining that crucial work-life balance.
4. Courses are not engaging enough
A bland, dull, or outdated course in its teaching methods or scope is unlikely to do much to inspire your staff. Training sessions should be delivered in such a way that they’re accessible and enjoyable to the whole team, regardless of individual learning styles or preferences.
For your staff to sustain their motivation to complete their training programs to a high standard, it’s vital that whatever program they undertake has been developed to drive high levels of engagement and is delivered as well as possible. Be mindful of creating internal staff training without the insight or input from professionals, especially if this area has been unfamiliar to you - you’ll likely be better off outsourcing this particular task.
Team training at UTS: Co-training the leaders of tomorrow with John Holland
In collaboration with leading infrastructure provider John Holland, Plus UTS Business Futures developed a short leadership skills course with a self-awareness foundation. This course will allow future John Holland employees to grow into confident, capable leaders and prepare them for the many challenges facing Australia’s infrastructure sector.
Read more about the course Plus UTS Business Futures co-designed with John Holland
