Upskill Your Workforce with Continuous Training
Onboarding is often the first thing that comes to mind when you think of traditional Employee Training. Properly training your new staff during the onboarding process is crucial to the success of your business and staff performance; however, investing in continuous staff training is a vital component of fostering a successful and thriving workplace.
By providing opportunities for growth, organizations can enhance productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall performance. Consider these 3 key areas when creating new training protocols and policies for ongoing staff training:
Ensure You’re in Compliance
Some training courses are required by states and industries to keep you and your staff safe and informed. It’s highly recommended, and often required, to take trainings such as:
- Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Workplace
- Safety Training
- Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- HIPAA Training
Check your local and state guidelines first to ensure that you’re compliant with any mandated training. Placing required training as the top priority will give you peace of mind. You need to ensure that you are meeting legal requirements first to minimize the risk of penalties later.
After you have determined what is required by your state and industry, the next step is to determine what other training courses you should assign that may not be legally required but are highly encouraged. For example, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, while not required in all states, is strongly recommended anywhere you may be located. Often your state and industry guidelines will provide a list of training courses that are strongly recommended.
Train Often and Put Your Staff at the Forefront of the Conversation
Allow your employees to improve their skills and create opportunities for themselves within the organization as it grows. This will enhance their productivity and overall performance. Invest from within and create higher quality workers through the opportunities you provide for their growth. No matter what industry you’re in, it’s necessary to consistently train your workforce from multiple standpoints, including compliance, growth, and retention.
Not sure what types of training to offer to your staff? Ask them. This is the first place you should look for suggestions. Your staff will often have new platforms or skills in mind that they’d like to pursue to be more proficient in their roles. Making your workforce a part of the conversation will cultivate a positive working environment, which helps ensure employee satisfaction and retention. A couple great ways to include your staff in the decision-making process are:
- Creating a digital suggestion box where staff can request monthly group trainings
- Offering your staff paid personal development days throughout the year; allow them to choose any skill that they would like to develop that aligns with their goals as well as the goals of the organization.
Train Staff to Adapt to New Technologies
Getting all workers comfortable with the digital world is crucial. You must get your staff prepared to adapt to new technologies, which in turn cultivates innovation and forward thinking within your organization. You will not remain competitive without consistent training on digital platforms.
What types of tech platforms should you be looking at?
- Applications for digital communications
- Support platforms, both internal and client-facing
- AI Platforms and Integrations
Any systems and platforms that are going to bring your company into the future to remain competitive are vital, both from the internal and client-facing sides of your business.
Consistent training is low risk and high reward across all industries. For small business owners, there are nearly unlimited resources and ways to integrate ongoing training within your organization. Investing in continuous staff training offers numerous benefits to both employees and organizations. By meeting state and industry requirements, enhancing job performance, embracing technological advancements, fostering employee satisfaction, and driving innovation, you create a workplace that thrives on innovation. Providing opportunities for your staff to improve their skills not only enhances their individual capabilities but also ensures the long-term success of your organization in an ever-evolving landscape.
