Everyone understands the importance of a successful and engaging training program. If properly implemented, it reinforces critical skills and knowledge to build morale leading to an overall positive impact on the company.
Often times; however, training programs fall short of reaching these goals whether it be for lack of time, limited resources, or poor execution. In this article, we review the top 5 most common errors in developing training programs and most importantly, how to avoid them!
1. Programs misaligned with overall company goals
The main mistake, and perhaps the most serious, is the failure to link your training program with a concrete and measurable goal within the company. Your top priority should be to have a positive impact on the organization as a whole, meaning you must know the needs of your business and define a training program that can meet them. Make sure the goals of your program are measurable and understood throughout the entirety of the organization.
2. Poor-quality content
In today’s digital , with excellent learning resources just a click away (video tutorials on YouTube, MOOCs, platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, Linda and LinkedIn, Google itself, TED Talks, etc.), many staff training programs (often through their LMS) still offer poor quality content.This may have been acceptable just a few years ago, when information was less accessible and the training market was less aligned with technology, but today, this is unacceptable. As a simple rule: make sure the content you offer your employees is of the highest quality and is better than what they can find with a simple online search.
3. Boring and repetitive formats
Employees are tired of always being offered the same kind of training. Sometimes this involves face-to-face classes where they have to sit and listen for hours on end; other times, it’s an online course that consists of going through PowerPoint slides and answering test questions. As this type of training does not motivate employees, you should seek out other formats (such as virtual reality, gamification or video games) that can improve engagement among students and favor experiential learning.
You may be interested: 30 infallible strategies to improve the “engagement” of your training
4. Lack of interdepartmental support
At times, we can be so focused on creating training programs, we forget to seek out support and input from the company’s senior managers. These figures, if utilized properly, can lead by example, support the program’s objectives, and hold employees accountable. They can also provide invaluable input so that trainings are properly aligned with both overall company and departmental objectives. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting about them.
5. Poor communication and marketing
Have you ever created the perfect training program that manages to be fully aligned with company objectives while at the same time offering innovative, top-quality content…and somehow none of the employees were clued in about it? Were they properly explained how to sign up for the courses? Did they know who to turn to when they have questions? If this sounds familiar, then you probably failed to launch an effective marketing campaign. When communicating your program, try to be innovative and visual. Try utilizing humor, mystery, or surprise — whatever will attract positive attention to your programs.
