Facilitating a Flawless Employee Training Session

Studies have actually shown that the most productive and motivated employees are those who have received the proper training before taking on an assignment. That's why it's important to ensure that your training sessions provide the type of quality learning experience that you envision, and your employees need.

Whether you develop the training in-house or buy it ready-made off the shelf, here are some important things to keep in mind if you want to facilitate a flawless employee training session.

Be Sure to Make it...

Fun. Think of your worst high school teacher or college professor. You know - the one that put you to sleep five minutes into the class. You don't have to have the skills of a standup comedian or great Shakespearean actor, but you do need to have the type of personality that won't bore your listeners. A large part of classroom training is engaging your audience, capturing their interest, and feeding their minds with information.

Relatable. This applies to both you and your material. For you that means making a connection with your employees so that they sense your comfort and ease with the information, and see you as the expert, without feeling intimidated by your knowledge and background. For the material, it means introducing a topic through methods that make sense to the employees - such as role playing and using visual aids - and encourage listening, participation and learning.

Relevant. Training is an investment, so make sure that it has relevancy to your company and to the individual's job. Choose skills that are pertinent to the company's immediate or future need and, therefore, offer the greatest payback. If employees don't feel the training is beneficial, they are likely to be uninterested. Help them to make the connection and to understand the importance of the training.

Memorable. When you take the time and put in the effort to conduct employee training, it is vital that each student walk away remembering what they just learned. According to experts, human beings retain approximately 5 percent from lectures, 10 percent from reading, 20 percent from audio/visual presentations, 30 percent from demonstrations, 50 percent from discussion, 75 percent from practice, and 90 percent from teaching others. Make you training session memorable.

You Should Be...

Prepared. Not only should you know the material you are training, but you should have all the physical components required to make the training a success. These include everything from having the proper training space with enough room and seating, to making sure enough handouts or computer monitors are available.  

Patient. Not everyone learns at the same pace. Some things may make sense to some and not to others. Certain training methods may work well with one group but not another group. The trick to training, especially if it is a large group of people, is to let those that catch on quickly help those who do not. Your role is then to circulate around the room and see how things are going.

Considerate. Training, while often enjoyable, can be overwhelming and tiring for you and your students. Be sure to create a training program that is interesting and interactive so employees are not confined to sitting for hours on end. Build frequent breaks into the session, whether that just means standing and stretching or going to the restroom and checking phone messages. Finally, consider how the information is being learned. If you dole it out in smaller bites and then reinforce it, it is generally easier to learn.

Aware. No, you don't need to act like the learning police, watching everyone to make sure they are behaving. However, you should be aware of potential issues; perhaps someone is not absorbing the information or neighbors are not getting along. Also be aware of when enough is enough. You'll be able to see it on the faces of your employees.

Facilitating a flawless training session is a matter of planning in advance. And don't forget the importance of measuring the results. It's the only way you'll know if you're getting a return on your investment.

If you're looking to expand your skills and build your career, visit the OfficeArrow Career and Education Services section.