Whether it’s the result of new technology, upgraded systems or new procedures, at some point it’s going to be necessary to train a large group of your existing workers.

Doing so improves the overall function of your business by making sure your team keeps their skills up to date. But because of the challenges and costs of providing ongoing training, many employers see it as an avoidable expense to be provided only when profits or high or when the earnings pressure is off.
However, much like advertising, the best time to spend money on staff development is perhaps when your business needs an extra boost. It’s at this point that your employees likely need the most motivation, and a fresh round of training can go a long way to keeping them engaged and working toward their goals.

What else does ongoing employee training accomplish for your team?

• They stay competitive – You might not be taking the time to train your employees, but your competitors certainly are. The edge belongs to those who can keep up with changes and use them to their advantage.
• They hone their skills – It goes without saying that you hired your employees because they possessed a certain set of skills, but providing them the opportunities to build on those skills, refresh and practice them is crucial to each person’s role.
• They stay up-to-date – Being aware of changes in your industry or updates to critical technology means that your employees know how to keep up with compliance and fully use the new tools that are available to them.
• You can detect and address deficiencies – Periodic training programs that use audience response technology and electronic polling software allow managers to instantly see where gaps in knowledge and training exists among their team members. This provides the opportunity to help those employees catch up and contribute more to the overall goals of the business.

In the end, providing ongoing training also gives your team incentive to keep learning and reminds employees that they are valued members of the organization – which may result in better employee retention. That, in turn, will allow your company to attract better talent when it’s time to hire from outside the company.
Let us know how do you engage your trainees and what type of technology works best for you.
Feel free to contact us if you need help with technology that would help you train more efficiently.