If you’re looking for a way to enhance your employees’ abilities, empower your leaders, or elevate your organization as a whole, no matter the size, consider what an established training program can do for you.
From small, independent mortgage banks to large lending institutions, it is beneficial to build a system into the core of your organization’s culture that can increase efficiency and save money. This will enable your employees to be more impactful and adaptable, adding value to their day-to-day and even improving the satisfaction and retention of high-performers, helping you to attract and retain talent.
At an individual level, when that system empowers people by unlocking existing potential and recognizing the inherent value in them, you see better results. For new employees, a good training program starts them on the right track from day one. Those who are more established in their careers, while successful in their own right, can take the time to be introspective and contemplative during a training program and identify areas where there is opportunity for them to grow and enhance in their space.
Ultimately, you create an emphatic win, where everyone becomes more successful.
A Proven Track Record
As a leadership development trainer, I often see employees at all levels have “aha” moments, where they come to the realization that there is space for them to improve and they can still learn no matter how many years they have been in their role.
One manager that comes to mind knew she could have a better working relationship with her management team and staff, but didn’t know what that looked like. As she went through ServiceLink’s Leadership Academy, where managers are hand-selected and nominated by top leadership for a nine-month development program, she participated in weeks of training specifically committed to understanding power dynamics and how to enhance your network and improve interpersonal communication.
She was already great at what she did, but she still found ways to get better. When provided with the space to discuss and practice having these conversations, both good and bad, she began to excel in this area.
The success stories are endless and can be found at every level. In fact, Zippia reports that retention rates are 34% higher at organizations that offer employee development opportunities and companies with comprehensive training programs have a 24% higher profit margin. Additionally, 92% of employees say training programs, if well planned, have a positive impact on their engagement.
So, what tools do you need to start? No matter the size of your organization, the elements remain the same and can be adapted to meet your organization’s needs. When launching a successful training program, my team routinely goes through the first five points of Kotter’s Eight-Step Change Model – create urgency, build coalition, develop vision, communicate that vision, and empower others to act.
Here’s what that looks like.
Garner Executive Support
When you’re looking to launch a program, start by asking questions. Ask people in your organization to identify areas for potential improvement. What is your organization doing right? Where can it do better? This is where your ideas should come from. Focus on what is going on currently in your organization and create engagement in those areas. Then, show your leaders that their ideas are reflected in the training. Give them ownership over it.
To create engagement, it’s vital to have managers who understand the program and are ready to support their team. When a manager is on-board, or even participating themselves, there is a trickle-down effect. Members of their teams then look at new opportunities for self-improvement and challenge themselves to grow. Support should come from the top down. This is an opportunity for culture setting.
Get Employee Engagement And Buy-In
Instead of seeing employee training as a mandatory task that they must attend unwillingly, find ways to create employee buy in. Show them the value. Explain the “why” behind the program from the first communication onward. Find ways to engage your employees in the process and make it so they want to be there.
If your employees come in unprepared and unaware of why they are even there, they can easily become frustrated and disengaged. It becomes an obligation. A key to positive engagement is awareness. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
Once the program starts, keep the engagement going. Create opportunities for conversation. Recognize that you are a facilitator, and you are not there to dictate a lesson. You are there to encourage conversation, meaning that sometimes the less you talk, the better. Have breakout sessions and encourage the conversation to flow. You are going to see energy and engagement rise when you do this.
Create Clear and Concise Communication
Regardless of the size of your company, it’s important that your executive leaders be proponents of the program and communicate that with the rest of the organization. In large organizations, standardized email messaging can come directly from your leaders. In smaller companies, consider providing executives with scripting for face-to-face conversations or even co-presenting program launches in a live environment – virtual or in person.
Ensure that you are reaching your employees so they understand the intent of the program. It is OK if they’re seeing or hearing the message in more than one place, but don’t overwhelm them with details. Keep the message clear and concise so people understand the essentials. There should be a value add in every word and sentence you relay.
With inboxes filled to the brim, employees are moving through their communications faster than ever. So, make your point clear and easy to understand.
If you have a robust intranet presence, consider dedicating an entire page to the program with all the information participants need in one place. Another trending tool to reach your audience is through video messaging. Create a short video that explains the ins and outs of the program, targeting today’s visual learners.
Make It Easy To Attend
Ensure you have flexible scheduling. Offer choices so more members of the team are available to attend. While the training can be mandatory, let your participants select options that best meet their needs, giving some autonomy and control back to the learner.
Keep your sessions short and pay attention to the time of day you offer them. Mix it up. If an employee can’t make one class at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday because they have a standard meeting at that time, offer the next class at 1 p.m. on a Wednesday. Getting in the door shouldn’t be the challenging part.
You’ve Established a Successful Program. Now What?
Once your program has launched, celebrate the wins. Congratulate your participants. Acknowledge their efforts. Then ask for feedback.
Now that the program is complete, don’t throw away all that hard work. Come up with a game plan for continued enrollment for new hires and even follow-up sessions that reference previous programs to reduce backsliding. Continued learning needs to become a part of your culture.
Need Inspiration?
Employee training programs will look different at every company, based on individual and organizational needs. But it is effective no matter the size of your organization. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few thought starters.
Consider releasing new workshops quarterly focused on personal growth and leadership development. At ServiceLink, we host workshops on communicating with confidence, Outlook and OneNote best practices and developing a personal brand. These can be impactful at any organization.
Another idea is to deploy manager-specific training, providing them with actionable tips to grow their leadership skillset. Consider topics like managing across generations, conflict resolution and how to identify your own leadership style.
