Australian Human Resources Institute chief executive Lyn Goodear says many small businesses undervalue effective, continuous training. “I think training serves a number of purposes,” she says. “In such a disruptive world of work nowadays, nothing that we do doesn’t need fresh eyes or isn’t being revisited with new technologies, new approaches.”
In the digital age, training can take a number of forms. Although the most popular types of training remain “in-person” workshops, group Q&As or “hands-on” sessions, employees can take interactive online courses or follow online tutorials, webinars or video instructions via channels such as YouTube.
A 2015 InterCall survey of 200 employees in the US found that while three-quarters of respondents had participated in training workshops over the previous year, more than half had completed interactive online courses. About half said in-person workshops were effective in helping them retain information while 41 per cent said online courses were effective. Interestingly, about two-thirds said the training they received played a part in deciding if they would stay with their current employer.
For small businesses, especially those in trades and services industries, training responsibilities often fall to the owner or the person leaving the company as part of a “hand-over”. Goodear says either situation may not be ideal. “There is this presumption that the person actually can train, but training isn’t just a matter of knowing the job,” she says. “It’s the ability to communicate the job to someone else.”
Because of their size, small businesses often conduct “cross-training” – where staff are shown how to perform a number of roles to cover when someone’s sick or on leave. This can be good for employees wanting to expand their knowledge but there are downsides. “You can’t drive it from a nuisance point of view – ‘I’ve got to learn Joe’s job’,” Goodear says. “Every new thing employees learn is about opening up the way they look at their future and their work environment.
“Learning styles are a real challenge. Some people will go, ‘Wow, that’s changed. I’ll hop online and do a tutorial’ where other people won’t. They’ll wait to have the full course or get the training manual.” Often, but not always, the preferred learning style will come down to age: older staff tend to prefer direct, on-the-job training while younger employees are likely to prefer computer-based learning.
Goodear says that it can make sense for small businesses to bring in outside help to train staff on site. “It’s a luxury to bring in experts but you get an ‘outside in’ view,” she says. “I think one of the challenges in a small business is you can become quite introspective; you can start believing your own story and end up patting yourself on the back. External trainers will often earn a respectful right of passage to tell you what they see.”
The key to any successful training system is allowing staff to try things out before they’re “let loose” on customers. That’s why it’s wise to allow them to practice in a safe environment to learn new systems and processes. Managers or trainers also need to take the time to answer questions, give honest feedback and be prepared for things to go wrong before an employee turns “pro”. Similarly, it’s prudent to advise customers when freshly trained employees are doing work for them until they gain confidence.
Here are five practical ways employers can better train their staff to be job ready and motivated:
Mix in-person and online training.
Staff needs direction on how to use new equipment or software, and the particular way that business would like to see it used. Some, however, prefer to discover more general information in their own way at their own pace, and this is where online learning modules or instructional videos can be useful.
Identify employees who are “natural trainers”.
Certain staff has a knack of passing on work-related knowledge better than others. Managers who recognise this talent should use, and reward, these employees to help train new staff.
Encourage employees to attend events and participate in webinars.
Businesses that build employees’ knowledge around topics relevant to their industry will produce happier staff and, ultimately, customers. GeoOp, for instance, has an ongoing webinar series to help small businesses be more efficient.
Use suppliers to train staff.
Employers should expect service providers to help staff use their new equipment or technology. This is mutually beneficial, as businesses are more likely to continue using a supplier that provides good after-sales service.
Use all digital resources available.
Many service providers, including accounting software business Xero, offer easy-to-follow instructional videos on their websites or on share sites such as YouTube. Alternatively, websites such as Tradebusters Academy help educate tradies on best business practices. The best thing is that these services can be found anywhere at any time on mobile devices.
