Every good manager will want to effectively train employees to be the best addition to the company.
Although they all fill the same goal, there are a variety of training methods to choose from. Selecting the one suited best for your employees can benefit both you and them.
These five methods are the most popular for companies trying to train their employees effectively.
1. On-the-Job Training
This type of learning happens as your employees work. Basically, it’s a more tangible way to learn. Instead of watching or reading about a subject to acquire a skill, you learn by doing it.
Of course, you can’t just throw your new hires into the thick of it and expect them to survive.
You will want to provide them with a shadow trainer with this method. This person can answer any questions trainees have, help them to overcome any challenges, and provide quick tips along the way.
Pros
On-the-job training saves money because your employees are working and learning simultaneously. You still get some productivity and task completion while they learn the ropes.
This type of training also allows your employees to learn the real-life application of their knowledge. It holds so much more weight when they understand how to do something and see it in action.
You may find that many people are kinesthetic learners. Using on-the-job training allows these learners to get in there with their hands and let it soak into their brains.
Cons
Some employees might feel overwhelmed with this type of learning. It certainly isn’t for everyone.
If any of these overwhelmed employees get flustered, there is a potential for big mistakes that could cost the organization a lot of money.
You can make tweaks when utilizing this style of training to ensure it’s safe and effective.
2. Online Training
Another popular form of training is using an online system to teach your employees the skills they need to complete the job.
These systems can include interactive courses, videos, and tests that your new hires need to complete before they begin work.
Pros
One of online training’s most significant benefits is that it uses various methods to teach the concepts.
As people’s preferred modes of learning differ from person to person, you can expect these training platforms to cater to many.
Many among the generation that is coming into the workforce prefer to learn from a computer anyway.
This training method ensures you train an employee thoroughly before they enter the workforce. They can also complete the training from the comfort of their own home.
Cons
Some online training programs can be very costly to provide. Smaller companies may not be able to fit this in the budget.
Since everything is online without face-to-face interaction, it isn’t easy to know how well the employee is learning.
If you would like to check out the newest and most used online learning platforms, try the best learning management systems.
3. Coaching
With the coaching method of training, you assign a coach or mentor to each new employee. This person will help them learn the ins and outs of the job using their own words or method.
Pros
Coaching allows for a dedicated one-on-one interaction between a seasoned pro and a newbie.
Your new employees will learn from someone not just knowledgeable about the job but also the company. This can help your new hire assimilate into the workforce seamlessly.
Cons
This training method requires sacrificing time out of the coach’s original position to help train a newcomer. This may negatively affect production rates for a short while.
A coach may also deviate from the course and teach the new hire some of the mentor’s personal opinions, tainting the training process.
If you would like to implement a mentoring program in your company, Indeed has a comprehensive guide that will break it down step by step.
While this type of training may not be feasible for every company, it is a good one to use in conjunction with another training method.
4. Group Training
Group training provides training through discussions and activities for multiple new hires together.
Pros
For some companies, it makes sense to train more than one new hire simultaneously. This can be time-saving and cost-efficient.
Employees tend to do well with this type of training because it provides a higher level of stimulation.
It also creates a sense of teamwork and bonding in the new employees from the get-go.
Read this article for some examples of great activities you can include in your next group training session.
Cons
It would be hard to lose the individual’s attention with one-on-one interaction, but things might get off track with group training.
The fun of it all could begin to overshadow the primary goal; learning.
Group training is not suitable for every type of position either. Could you imagine trying to group train a role that involves highly-sensitive information?
5. Classroom Learning
The most traditional learning style. It allows an instructor to deliver the information and ask questions from a room full of trainees.
Pros
Like group training, this method saves time and money by training a group with just one instructor.
The instructor can adapt to the reaction it receives from the employees. They can decide to spend more time on a topic that they struggle with or skip over a specific topic easily grasped.
Use the most skilled person to train your new hires ensures that they learn well.
Cons
Classroom learning is not suitable for every type of position. It may be boring for some.
It may save cost and time by training a group of people at once. But it will still take time and energy from the instructor that you may better use elsewhere.
Conclusion
As you can see, each of these training methods has their good points and their bad points.
The important thing is that you need to find the proper training method for your business.
And remember, after you’ve chosen a method, don’t be afraid to switch strategies when one isn’t working.
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer who specializes in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Grove at Murfreesboro to help them with their online marketing.