Staff training: build your people skills and they'll build your business

"If you think hiring someone, training them and having them leave is expensive,try hiring them, not training them and having them stay."

Henry Ford, American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company

• Set expectations so participants understand what will be expected of them and how training will relate to their work before formal learning begins.

• Keep learning ‘results-based’ and measurable. Skill development must be driven by your business’ strategic and operational objectives.

• Focus on rapid skill transfer and business results.

• Follow up each training exercise by identifying issues for future training.

• Document the ongoing benefits of every training exercise.

• Ensure the ‘learner’ is able to identify and see how the opportunities and applications of the new skill or information can be transferred to the workplace. 

• Create a work environment that promotes learning opportunities and supports new skills.

• Ensure management from the top down ‘visibly’ supports, encourages and appreciates the importance of staff training and ongoing education.

• Create a work environment that supports the use of new skills.

• Ensure that formal learning is integrated into the workplace and that staff have the motivation, resources and support to excel.

• Monitor the ongoing application of new skills and encourage staff to continue to use their new skills.

• Adopt a blended training curriculum to make the learning experience more interesting and to cater for all types of learners' needs and preferred styles of learning e.g. formal, unstructured, e-learning, hands on. Think creatively e.g. a simulation training game where players progress through increasing levels of difficulty to learn a set of skills is innovative, instructional and fun.

• Use trained trainers, or train staff in training skills, to facilitate or deliver training.  An in-house expert or specialist may be brilliant at his/her job but not so good at passing the information or skills on to a colleague.

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