Every month during client calls, we get dozens of questions about best practices for creating a successful training program. Employee Training Tracking Software implementations make up a large part of this number. In this article I will give you some tips for implementing a training tracking system with the best possible outcome.
In 2017, there was a reported 32.5 percent increase to $90.6 billion on training expenditure by US-based organizations. Employee Training Tracking Software implementations make up a large part of this number. It’s a figure that is being driven higher every year by several factors, but two of the most important are:
- A desire from millenials for more learning opportunities: 59 percent of millennials say opportunities to learn and grow are extremely important when they’re applying for new jobs
- Employee retention rates increase: Research shows that new employees who experience a well-structured onboarding program are 69 percent more likely to remain at that company for at least three years.
Considering millenials are going to comprise the bulk of the workforce by 2030, and that the cost of employee turnover is ever-increasing, it’s important that your business has a thorough employee training program in place.
Let’s takes a look at the steps involved in building out a successful training program and implementing tracking software to measure its performance.
Building an effective employee training program
Identify what training your employees need
Before you even begin design your training program you should figure out exactly what training your employees needs in order to have the most impact upon your business. Starting with a skills gap analysis will help you identify areas where the business may be currently lacking.
It’s also helpful to ask your employees what they would like to learn about. While you might have a high-level overview and understanding of your business, your employees can offer a fresh perspective and help you determine which skills or traits could be useful for current, and future, employees to have. Asking questions such as the following might be a great place to start:
What do you think you struggle with the most at work?
What way do you learn best?
How could we help your team improve its performance?
Are there any interests you have outside of work that you’d like to learn more about?
Once the needs and desired skills have been identified it’s time to begin planning your employee training program and set your program objectives. If you want to learn more about how to define Skill Gaps check out this blog post: https://skillsdbpro.com/skills-gap-crisis/
Setting objectives based on your business and employee needs
It’s crucial to define the goals and objectives of your training program before you actually take any strides. Training new employees without any real direction will inevitably result in unimpressive outcomes. You can use a series of criteria or parameters to formulate your questions, such as:
- How will team performance improve after the completion of the program?
- Example: “The customer success team will be able to respond to questions X% faster using (x) tool”
- Why will employees be in a better position to hit their targets after the program?
- Example: “The sales teams will be able to use (x) platform to target our ideal customers”
- How will the training prepare employees for future leadership roles?
- Example: “X employee will be able to implement constructive performance reviews for his/her team”
- How will this program improve employee retention rates?
- Example: “Our turnover rate next year will decrease by X% after we plan team-building activities that boost employee morale and retention”
Now that you’ve determined what you need from your training and what your objectives are, it’s time to put in place the process of measuring your training’s performance.
Using employee training tracking software to measure the success of your program
In the same way that you assess your employees and their team performance, you should put in place the appropriate measures to track the performance of your employee training programs. You can use two methods to help paint a picture of how successful your training program has been:
- Conduct employee interviews and use feedback to help you inform the process in the future. This might include questions such as:
- What new (e.g. task, tool, skill) did you learn from the program?
- How will (or did) you apply this newly-acquired knowledge on the job?
- What did you like about the program and what should we improve (e.g. topic, methodology, instructor, material)?
- Use employee training tracking software to measure and monitor the training process from start to end. The benefits of using employee training tracking software include:
- The ability to manage and track employee training events through the use of employee profiles and requirements
- Set up links to documents and control which employees see certain records
- Generate reports on training performance including updates on submissions and progress
Over time you’ll be able to use both of these methods in tandem to help you gauge the effectiveness of your training programs.
What Training Questions Do You Still Have?
What did I miss? What are you still wondering?
Let me know at Steve@skillsdbpro.com