Among the four factors of production, human resources are the most essential and dynamic component. The employees are the flag bearers of the company’s core values and working style in the long run. They determine its success and failure. Thus, investing in employee training to ensure the workforce is up to speed with the newest trends in their industries and will be, inturn, invested in the company’s success is a worthy initiative.

What is employee training?

Employee training provides the needed skills for the employees to perform their regular duties. This is both on a qualitative and quantitative basis. Employee training tools are not used continuously but are used periodically to teach them new skills or improve existing skills, or even impart knowledge about various aspects of their profile such as changing market values, technologies, and work environment. This program usually starts right after the recruitment stage and is a part of the employee’s journey within the company.

Employee training is not a process that stops at the induction stage. It is required at all levels of the organization for better team coordination and the company’s working. There is a common analogy for comparing an organization to an organism and every department to organ systems. Keeping that in mind, there is a need for constant coordination and control within the organization to make stuff happen. Employee training plays a crucial part here.

Components of the employee training program

Employee training programs have several components and types based on the company’s specifications. Small startups will have different strategies compared to large multinational companies. Components of employee training programs include:

The training process and need analysis

Analyze the need for the training and why it should follow a particular method or be given to a particular designation within the organization.

Training process planning

This step involves understanding the specificity of every employee and how they could be accommodated in the training program. The process should also plan how the regular work will be organized during the training. If the training is time-consuming, the organizations should also provide additional benefits for the employees to enjoy the process.

Steps of an employee training program

Differential training or Module selection

Not every designation is equal in an organization, though every person is important. The level of invincibility is different for different designations. Similarly, their rights and duties are modified according to their work process. Several employee training techniques can be utilized based on the designation. Managers may require constant updates on human resource management and coordination-related training. The shop floor employees might need production optimization training. All these are processed in this stage.

Transfer to learning

This is the most crucial step in an employee training program. This step involves the implementation of whatever is being learned by the employee in the process. The working employee should observe the changes according to the training given him/her.

Feedback and updates

This step is usually the final step in the process. This is to check whether the employee training tools are used efficiently. It also checks whether the process is user-friendly and helps the employees learn and grow. This is usually given as a survey with a rating system. Individual suggestions of the employees are also welcome by the trainers.

Methods used in employee training systems

The employee training system is a complex entity of several techniques that aid the trainers and trainees in a conducive environment. Both tend to have better coordination if the system is properly planned. Training methods can be classified into two types; these are on-the-job methods and off-the-job methods.

On-the-job methods of training

This method involves training the individual inside the job. Out of the multiple methods involved, the most common is an online training, where the person is trained in a virtual forum. This is usually done in cases of software update training or technical aspects. Job rotation is a method of periodically putting a person in a different job environment to make him/her aware of the working and job aspects.

Job shadowing is a method where the new employee will spend time watching another person work to understand the nature of the work. Mentoring is when a senior employee takes the new employee under their wing and ensures the person is ready for the job.

Off-the-job training methods

The employees and the new probationers will learn about the job and its updates away from the workplace. This can be done through classroom lectures, audio-visual demos, simulations, or visual training. The employees will be given space and free time to explore new developments around them. This type of training is very helpful for employees in creative fields and with unconventional job descriptions.

Employee training is one of the most important steps in accommodating employees in the work ideology and environment. If done right, it will lead to positive growth in the company.