Nothing gives me more anxiety than hearing the words, “We’re hiring!” Training new and existing team members is not one of my strengths. Although I have helped train many team members in our office over the years, I can say, in all honesty, their grit and determination helped them more than any training I provided. Determined to strengthen that weakness in 2021, I was surprised to learn that training a new employee is a weakness in most businesses across the country. Organizations spent $359 billion globally on training in 2016, but was it worth it? (Glaveski, 2019)
• 75% of 1,500 managers surveyed from across 50 organizations were dissatisfied with their company's learning and development (L&D) function.
• 70% of employees report that they don't have mastery of the skills needed to do their jobs.
• Only 12% of employees apply new skills learned in L&D programs to their jobs.
• Only 25% of respondents to a recent McKinsey survey believe that training measurably improved performance.
If your clinic trains employees by flopping down a stack of papers to read or by forwarding a list of not-so-updated documents to pore over, then it is time to revamp your training program. In the past 11 years, how we train new employees and what we train them to do have changed significantly, and so has the person responsible for providing that training. We also have come to realize that, as we grow, our employees are all different, complex people with their own motivations, personalities, schedules, and attention spans. They need to have more than one way to learn. So how do you revamp your training to meet the needs of your new and existing employees? (New Horizons, 2019)
Identify tasks or procedures employees need to know and break these into steps
Make these tasks and steps as concrete as possible and ask someone who isn't in the role to check for clarity. Identify the best person to complete the training. Not everyone can train every employee for every skill, so choose the best person for the job. Does that person have the skills to train another person? Like me, it is not everyone's strength, and your trainer may require a little training.
Learning how to train new employees effectively is the cornerstone of success for any business.
Allocate resources, supplies, and time
Training new hires is essential. Providing adequate tools and time to learn new procedures and practices (or not!) can make or break your new-hire training program. You can't expect existing employees to fit training into an already packed schedule.
Train
This one word encompasses a range of activities, from online training to microlearning to hands-on practice. Identify the best way to deliver the information for the best chance of success.
Check for understanding
It's not enough to offer the information and hope it sticks. Check employee understanding after training by tailoring employee assignments to the training they received.
This helps you know if employees feel confident in what they have learned or need more information.
Learning how to train new employees effectively is the cornerstone of success for any business. (Bleich, n.d.) Part of investing in your business's future growth includes having a training plan in place that ensures employee and practice success. That's a win-win for everyone.
Kristi Hudson is a certified professional compliance officer (CPCO). She serves as the Director of Business Relationships for ChiroHealthUSA where she has helped to educate DCs and CAs on establishing simple and compliant financial policies. You can contact Kristi at 888-719-9990 or [email protected], or you can visit the ChiroHealthUSA website at www.chirohealthusa.com.
