Top 8 Employee Training Methods
Before talking about different training methods, let's talk about what is employee training? Providing training to workers is not what the employer wants. It is what the employees need to perform better.
Training helps them to get on-job experience and teaches them how to do a specific task properly. It minimizes the chances of error as well as increases productivity. Training is based on short term goals and how to achieve it.
There are several benefits to employee training. Improved job satisfaction, increasing loyalty towards the organization – job training is extremely crucial. But what is the right method for employee training? How to train employee effectively? Well, there are several kinds of job training methods. While the tasks might differ from one company to another – the basic structure remains the same. If you are an employer and you are confused about which employee training method is feasible for you, don’t worry!
Here are a few different employee training methods that you can take a look at before you choose anything!
8 Best Employee Training Methods
1. E-learning
With the ongoing pandemic, one of the most popular choices for employee training is E-learning. You get to use a wide range of employee training methods and techniques. The goal of e-learning is to create online engagement with your employee.
This can be done through audio clips, videos, group discussions, and much more. It is one of the preferable methods as you do not need to think about the venue's availability. Just pick any digital platform, and you are good to go.
There are a couple of advantages of e-learning. The first advantage is that it is extremely cost-effective. You do not have to pay for the venue or documentation costs. The second advantage is that it is extremely flexible as your employee can fit such training in their schedule. Moreover, it is highly customizable. Hence, you can tweak it according to your employee's current needs.
2. Group discussions and activities
Group discussions and activities are a fun way to train a lot of employees at the same time. It helps you to break the monotony and allows your employees to learn about each other. If your employees need to work in teams frequently, this is a great way to train them for the future.
It gives your employees a chance to learn and provides a platform for them to interact with each other. Apart from training the employees, it gives you a chance to gain insight into your employee's behavior and personal characteristics. It allows you to train them better and increase your company’s output.
Group discussions can move forward through fun activities where the group has to face challenges. It helps to boost team spirit and connectivity. Moreover, it helps to boost confidence and learn important skills. Group discussions might seem costly, but it is a great way to build the team's collaborative efforts. If you have a good trainer, you will be able to select this method.
3. Classroom-based training program
It is one of the most traditional methods of employee training. Classroom training has an emphasis on group learning, teamwork as well as valuable skills. It is important if you want to boost social interaction and helps to adopt a problem-solving approach.
The classroom-based training approach helps the trainer to be physically present around the employees. Compared to online training, it is a more dynamic method of training. The trainer can change his/her approach during the training, according to the employees' needs.
Classroom training helps the employees to open up and have a conversation with others. It motivates them, and the employees can get on the job training. Moreover, it gives you a chance to interact with your employees and assess their strengths and weaknesses. It is extremely important as it allows you to make good decisions for your company. If money is not an issue, then this traditional method can be opted for by any employer.
4. Social learning
Social learning is becoming a favorite amongst most new-age employers. In this method of employee training, the employees are expected to learn from others. You need to observe others, and you are free to ask questions in this type of learning. Not only from your peers, but you can also even learn from blogs, videos, directories related to your subject matter by different successful individuals in your field. It allows individuals to be more responsible for their own work. They can select a role model and start working like them.
Moreover, you do not have to reduce their working hours to schedule the training program. They can learn from others while working. It promotes continuous learning as you do not have to take a break from your work to participate in the training program.
Human beings are social animals, and social learning allows employees to mix with their colleagues and develop great ideas. If you want to boost your employees' collaborative effort, it is the best method for employee training.
5. Instructor-led training
Instructor-led employee training places a massive responsibility on the shoulders of the trainer. The instructor is the sole medium of learning a job as well as social skills for the employees.
Not only does the instructor has to train the employees but has to assess their progress as well. The biggest advantage of an instructor-led approach is that the employees are free to ask questions. If you select the right instructor for the job, the employees' basic concepts will be taken care of.
It gives the employees a platform to brainstorm and great creativity. There can be opportunities for employees where they can engage in role-playing as well. The role of the instructor is crucial as a bad instructor can cause a lot of damage. If you decide to choose this approach, make sure that you select the right instructor. It will ensure that the employees are engaged with the program.
6. Simulation employee training
Simulation employee training is a new method of employee training that is slowly gaining a lot of popularity. In this kind of training, the employees are given a taste of the real world job-related activities. These programs are highly customizable and extremely effective. Usually, it is carried out on a virtual platform. Simulation employee training has a lot of benefits. It keeps the employees constantly motivated during the entire procedure. More than presentations, simulation training is more effective in holding an employee’s attention.
Research suggests that higher cognitive abilities are boosted in properly planned simulating training. It also boosts creativity amongst the employees when it comes to solving a problem. Employees can get organic feedback, which is solely based on their performance and behavior. This feedback can be quite constructive for their career. If you want to try out an unconventional employee training method, this is the right way to go. But only choose this method if you have the necessary resources.
7. Role-Playing
Another method of employee training is role-playing. It is an important method as it allows an employee to learn more about other’s perspectives. The employees can take turns and role play as an employer or other employees. It is an active learning method that is conducted under the watchful eye of a trainer. It promotes social interaction and promotes teamwork. People come together and work to find a common solution to a problem.
A problem is assigned to a team, and the team has to act out the role they have been assigned to. It acts as a preparation stage for people to tackle the real world. It also allows the employer to assess the current skill level of the employee. The weaknesses and strengths of all employees are assessed, and the trainer can spend time working on them. The strengths can be maximized, while the weaknesses can be minimized.
8. Case studies
Case studies are real-life accounts of people in a particular industry. The employees can read about them and discuss them with each other. It allows the employees to perform a SWOT analysis on these personal accounts. Case studies need not be about previous employees but can be about client behavior as well. It helps the current employees to gain an insight into the industry.
Also, it is a time saving and less expensive method of employee training. Hence, it is preferred by a lot of employers. Case studies are only effective if the employees give feedback after reading each case study. The trainer needs to ensure that the employees properly discuss the case studies during the training programs. Moreover, case studies help the employees to know more about exceptional situations. Such situations are difficult to recreate in reality, and hence, a case study is a perfect tool in such cases.
Conclusion
Hence, these are some of the few training methods that can be used for employee training. While some methods focus on social interaction, others focus on providing real-life experience. E-Learning is a great method if you want to reach out to a lot of employees at one time.
Group discussions and classroom training help to boost social interaction. Social learning focuses on observational learning. Simulation and role-playing techniques are effective in providing a real-life experience. Case studies are effective if you want your employees to analyze carefully. Choose your method after analyzing the pros and cons of every method mentioned above.
