This post was originally published on lessonly.com.
When was the last time you took a good, hard look at your current learning and development plan for employees? Last month? Maybe it was last quarter? Or perhaps it was last year?
If your training plan hasn’t been updated this year, then it’s probably time to blow off the dust and give it a refresh. Here are a few reasons why it might be time to revisit and refresh your current employee training plan template:
- Your training is generic or outdated.
- Your employees’ skill set has evolved.
- Your organization has new products, services, or processes.
- Your training plan doesn’t include skill application or practice.
- Your training efforts aren’t measured for performance.
So, how can leaders revamp their training program to create something that employees really enjoy? We’ve found that spectacular workplace training plan templates include five crucial details. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at each one.
1. Specific training paths for different roles
When it comes to building a great employee training plan, remember that it needs to serve every employee and each specific role. A static and generic training plan that’s exactly the same for everyone—from customer service agents to sales reps—just won’t cut it. While there are a few training topics that every team member needs to know regardless of their department, the majority of training should relate specifically to each job role, task, and responsibilities.
Great employee training focuses on one role at a time to ensure employees get exactly what they need to be successful at their specific job. Simplify the process by looking at one role within a team. So for example, if you’re designing training for your sales team, create a training plan for your senior account executives or commercial sales reps, instead lumping everyone into one training path. This laser focus will provide a clearer path to a productive training plan for each and every team member.
2. Core knowledge
Learning new skills and processes is the top goal of every great training program. We’ve found that really great training plan examples identify core functions of each employees’ job, rather than focusing on every single piece of information that their role might require them to know. Ask yourself, “What is the info that they really need to know?” This reduces the likelihood of overwhelming employees with too much training and information at once. It’s also helpful to bundle essential skills or work knowledge into a larger topic. Doing so makes it easier to create, manage, and deliver training. And, it’s easier for employees to comprehend and retain it all. The simpler your individual employee training plan template is, the better employee performance will be.
3. The right training at the right time
Once you’ve identified the core functions of each role, it’s time to figure out how and when each employee should receive training that addresses that function. We’re all familiar with the phrase, “Learn to walk before you run,” and that’s a pretty great analogy to remember when it comes to creating your new employee training plan template. All too often, organizations throw a plethora of training materials to new hires all at once. That’s a horrible experience. Instead, figure out what information and skills employees should learn during their first, second, or even third week of onboarding training. What knowledge do they need to understand on day one that future training materials will build off of at a later time? For example, it doesn’t make sense to ask a new sales rep to deliver a demo without knowing enough information about your product or service first.
Remember, training isn’t a one-and-done event, so it’s also critical to consider how you’ll deliver both onboarding and continuous training to your employees. Does a blended approach make sense for a specific topic, or will you rely on online training software so employees can access self-paced training when it’s right for them? We’ve found that the best learning and development plan for employees considers the needs and preferences of their employees to deliver the training in their moment-of-need.
4. Practice and feedback
The goal of training is to empower employees to apply newly gained skills and knowledge in their day-to-day roles. That’s why we strongly encourage including ongoing opportunities for employees to practice skills, refine their craft, and receive ongoing feedback. Our favorite workplace training templates identify what skills need ongoing practice, how often managers should review specific skills, and how teams can provide feedback and coaching for continuous improvement and growth. To do this, identify a few items for employees to regularly revisit and rehearse so training doesn’t go in one ear and out the other. Practice, repetition, and feedback make training stick and improve overall performance.
5. Clear objectives and goals
A truly successful training program results in improved individual and team performance. If your organizations’ training plan template fails to include key objectives and goals for your training program, that’s a problem. Clear objectives and training goals will make it easier to evaluate your training performance to see if it’s working or not. We recommend creating business outcomes (such as scheduling a certain number of demos or achieving an average call time for resolution) and learning metrics (lessons completed, quiz scores, and employee feedback). Detailed insights are essential to determine your return on learning. It also helps you identify the strengths and gaps of your current training program so you can continue to refine and improve it over time.
Revamping your training plan is no small task. So we made it simple for you. Our newly updated free training plan template helps leaders like you create detailed training plans for your team.
Turn your training plan into business results
We work with hundreds of teams to develop their employee training plans. Our training software translates crucial work knowledge from your training plan into lessons that accelerate productivity and lead to growth. Get a demo today.
