{"id":7417,"date":"2019-05-28T19:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T16:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=7417"},"modified":"2019-05-28T08:35:08","modified_gmt":"2019-05-28T05:35:08","slug":"steps-implementing-employee-led-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/steps-implementing-employee-led-training.html","title":{"rendered":"The first 5 steps to implementing employee-led training"},"content":{"rendered":"
Jobs today tend to come with office perks. Free avocado toast, sleep stations, and ping-pong tables are only some of the things employers offer nowadays. Why? Because Millennials are becoming the major proportion<\/a> of our workforce, and these perks keep them happy. But are they happy enough?<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Gallup<\/a>, employees today care deeply about their growth and development<\/strong>. In fact, learning opportunities are one of the most important factors employees consider when applying for a job (yes, more important than avocado toast). This means that companies need to look at new ways to engage their workplace. Enter employee-led training.<\/p>\n

What is employee-led training?<\/h2>\n

Do you know what a bored workforce looks like? It\u2019s a room full of employees watching the clock, maybe passing the time by creating a playlist for the road trip they\u2019ll be taking over the weekend. Sounds depressing? Well, effective employee-led training and development strategies eliminate all of this.<\/p>\n

Employee-led training focuses on the skills and help employees need<\/strong>, and it\u2019s built around those needs. Employees get to forge their own learning path and tackle training content at their own pace and in their own time. It\u2019s a modern learning style that balances employees\u2019 development needs with the strategic objectives of the company.<\/p>\n

An employee-led training program empowers employees to develop their skills and reach their goals<\/strong>, while also helping employers to increase and maintain workforce quality. Plus, in an age where teams are geographically dispersed and culturally diversified, employee-led training is more engaging and convenient.<\/p>\n

How to implement a powerful employee-led training program<\/h2>\n

You understand the importance of training employees, and you know how important employee-led training is for your company. Now it\u2019s time to get you started on developing your training program. It\u2019s all possible in just 5 steps.<\/p>\n

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1. Define your business objectives<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re like any other training professional, you\u2019re probably hyped about the training sessions. But before you start gathering your employees in a room for a two-hour workshop, take a step back to determine the company\u2019s goals<\/a><\/strong>. After all, training is an investment that needs to pay a return.<\/p>\n

So, ask yourself what your training should set out to achieve. Are you looking to halve production time? Or perhaps increase your customer base? Once you know the answer, set out your short, medium, and long-term objectives clearly. Identifying these will help you decide on the type of training your business should focus on.<\/p>\n

2. Ask your employees what they need<\/h3>\n

An employee-led learning and development plan only works if you actually include the employee. So, why not take the guesswork out of training and simply ask employees for their input<\/strong>? Staff is your eyes and ears on the floor, so they\u2019ll be the first to know which skills gaps are putting a damper on their performance.<\/p>\n

Use performance review conversations and company-wide surveys<\/strong> as platforms for employees to share their needs. A good old-fashioned idea submission box in the cafeteria tends to work well, too. By encouraging staff to share ideas for training, you\u2019ll show them that the company appreciates them and cares about their learning needs. In turn, you can expect improved loyalty and retention.<\/p>\n

3. Get to know your audience<\/h3>\n

The goal of a training session is to have employees learn the material in a way that is relatable to them, and have them immediately apply what they’ve learned in the workplace. Understand that you’ll encounter various experience levels, demographics, and learning motivations. Conducting an audience audit before the training design process will help you determine which training approach will work best for your audience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Run the audit using a survey or interviews. Whichever method you use, the following questions should be answered:<\/p>\n