Why Employee Training Should Go Beyond Classroom

Check out the reasons

As employers continue to struggle to fill the expanding talent gap, training has become more important than ever. However, 43 percent of employees report that they found their employer’s training program to be ineffective. Training can become ineffective due to lack of employee engagement, failure to resonate with employees, and inflexibility. The fuel to the fire on these potential issues? The use of traditional classroom training. Many businesses feel classroom training is the best direction to take when designing their training program, but this can easily be a false assumption. Here are three reasons why employee training should go beyond the classroom.

With the amount of time, energy, and capital spent on training, it’s important that executives listen to what their employees want. For example, one common ask is flexibility. While many companies have incorporated flexible schedules into their internal culture, flexible training options are often overlooked. Classroom training can be rigid, only offering specific times for classes. Eighty-five percent of employees want to be able to pick training times that fit into their already busy schedules. Online training modules and mobile device options are a couple alternatives for businesses to incorporate flexibility.

Interactive training can incorporate brainstorming, group discussions, role-playing, and Q&A sessions. These techniques help to create an engaging environment, which makes employees more receptive to new information. In addition, interactive training is more comprehensive and offers employees a hands-on experience. Not only is this more realistic, but it also makes training more enjoyable and increases productivity.

Ninety-three percent of employees want their training program to be easier to accomplish, while 91 percent feel personalization of the program could solve this issue. By designing a personalized environment, employers make the training process more relatable. Skills testing, course tracking, and digitization are all tools which can be used to create a more individual program for each employee.
Restructuring your training program and moving away from the traditional classroom style will not only benefit your existing workforce, but aid in recruitment of new employees as well. As the talent gap continues to grow, it’s important that businesses find new ways to attract and retain their employees.