Experienced business leaders can tell you that employee development is an ongoing process, and only companies that invest in their employees’ long-term growth will succeed. After all, in the age of technology, being one step ahead is a huge advantage when the next big advancement could arise at any time. As important as it is to keep your staff up to date on the latest tools and software in your industry, you might not have the time nor resources to train each and every one of your employees personally. Here are a variety of ways to use technology to improve employee training.
Create More Efficient Training Resources
Contrary to popular belief, obtaining training resources is not the hard part – it’s getting your employees to actually use those resources. However, this typically isn’t a case of your team simply being lazy or unwilling to try something new. In some cases, lengthy training programs can be so inconvenient to an employee’s workflow that it makes more sense for them to ignore it than to stop everything they’re doing and complete it. Putting more of your training into easily accessible online resources that can either be completed quickly or broken up into small sessions over the course of several days can give you real-time data to measure the effectiveness of your training program without halting day-to-day operations.
Use a More Hands-Off Approach
One of the most difficult things a business leader can do is completely let go of control. However, a hands-off approach within reason can be exactly what your training program needs to be successful. In order to accomplish hands-off training, you must choose training software that does much of the job for you. This means it is programmed to alert employees when to move ahead or when they need a little extra work on a certain section. It’s worth noting that a hands-off approach does not mean an absentee approach, and you should also take the time to familiarize yourself with the training and make yourself available if any questions arise.
Gamify Your Process
Let’s face it: training can be quite boring. It is for this exact reason that so many employees tend to neglect it. One of the fastest rising trends in employee training at the moment is gamification. Gamification is a fun and interactive way to train your team using game mechanics to propel their progress. Gamified training might also inspire a sense of healthy competition amongst your employees, as many of these programs utilize shared data via Google Docs or another tracking software. This allows employees and management to see which team members are improving and which are being left behind in real-time.
Training your employees is one of the most important things you can focus on as a business leader. However, in order to make your training a success, technology must be utilized correctly. Adhere to the list of tips listed above to begin crafting an effective and successful training program that benefits every department of your business.
Still looking for more ways to make your workplace more productive? Here’s another article you might like: Business Owners Tell All: 20 Quick Productivity Hacks for Small Business Owners
