Do you have plans to hire new employees in the new year? Are you looking forward to doing so with the idea that it will help take your company to the next level? Do you have some reservations in regards to what it takes to train employees with a high level of success?
Although no two companies are the same, there are some employee training tips that pertain to almost every organization.
Tip: The way you train one employee may not be the same as the next. For example, there are mistakes you need to avoid when training millennials.
Let’s examine five employee training tips that you’ll want to follow in the new year:
1. Have a Plan in Place for New Hires
It’s one thing to understand the importance of training new hires, but another thing entirely to do so with success.
You must have a plan in place for training every new hire, as this will ensure that the person hits the ground running.
For instance, even if you are hiring an experienced logo designer, you need to train him or her on how your company works.
2. Train Current Employees
It’s easy to believe that your current employees know everything, but this is not always the case. For example, maybe you own an online appliance store that’s going to offer a new selection of products next year.
With this in mind, you’ll want to train all new employees on these products. This ensures that they know what is being sold, thus allowing them to better do their job.
3. Talk About Safety Risks
Every year, there are millions upon millions of non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses. It doesn’t matter if your company specializes in delivery logistics or building new homes—you need to speak with every employee about safety risks.
If you neglect to take this step, there’s a much greater chance that an employee could suffer an injury or illness at some point in the future. Subsequently, you’ll have to concern yourself with a potential worker's’ compensation claim and lawsuit.
4. Take Every Question Seriously
It goes without saying that your employees will have questions every now and again. This holds true for new hires and those who have been with your company for many years.
It’s imperative that you take every question seriously, even if the answer is right in front of the person’s face.
Tip: Don’t shy away from getting help with training, as this gives employees another person to speak with when they have a question.
5. Don’t Put a Timeline on Training
There is no way of knowing for sure how long it will take to train a new (or existing) employee.
For instance, one employee may catch on within a matter of days while another person needs a few months to get up to speed.
While there is nothing wrong with setting short and long term training goals, you don’t want to stick with a concrete timeline.
No matter how hard you try, you’ll always come to find that every employee is different in regards to how long it takes them to make it through the training process.
When you keep an open mind in regards to your training timeline, it’s much easier to avoid a situation in which an employee is “thrown into the fire” before they are fully ready.
Final Thoughts
While there are many employee training tips to follow in the new year, these five are definitely among the most important. With these guiding your company, you’ll feel much better about everything the future will bring.
Training is a big part of your company’s success, so make sure you have the right plan in place. If you’ve made mistakes in the past, do whatever you can to avoid these again in the future.
What do you think about these five employee training tips? Are you confident in your ability to follow through with these in the new year? Do you have concerns that you could go down the wrong path at some point? Share your company’s approach to training in the comment section below, as your feedback can help other owners make better decisions.
