9 ways to guarantee Employee Engagement in Training

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9 ways to guarantee Employee Engagement in Training

Keeping your employees engaged in your business and training is key to high employee retention, satisfaction and productivity. It has been shown that 87 percent of millennials find development the most important aspect of looking for a role and 40 percent of employees who receive poor training and limited opportunities for development will leave their job within five years. Any training strategy that fails to capture trainees is a missed opportunity to nurture talent and build for the future.

Find Courses' 2018 Report revealed that top performing companies were 5 times more likely to implement engaging training programmes. Here are 9 ways to ensure you connect your employees with their training and your company.

1. Make it relatable

Just think, how long is it until you zone out in a meeting if you're discussing something that doesn't apply to you? When training materials are too generic, they won't relate to anyone. Of course there are some materials that need to apply to a large range of people and levels but you still need to make it relatable. By using real employee stories involving your own staff, or having videos of real people, you can make learning relatable and inclusive, speaking directly to the learner and inspiring action.

2. Generate company-wide influence

Unite and engage your workforce by making training a shared endeavour. It is apparent that across-the-board engagement in learning leads to higher levels of employee engagement overall, with research revealing that 90 percent of companies with strong learning cultures have senior executives actively engaged in learning and development initiatives.

3. Make it easy to apply on the job

On completing your training, will your employees be able to use their new skills directly in their daily tasks? Whether you're using e-learning or face-to-face training, if you've only presented information in a "tell style" delivery, it's likely that the concepts will remain theoretical. Using core content in immersive, relatable scenarios is one of the best ways to show how to apply skills and knowledge on the job.

4. Avoid the 'one-size-fits-all' solution

Engaging employees is difficult if you view them as having the same needs. Everyone in your organisation will have their own set of expectations and goals for their career. When it comes to workplace training, some people respond to a theoretical and structured approach while others learn best in an interactive environment. To maximise engagement, implement a blend of training options to appeal to all the learning needs of trainees.

Also, if you can, offer personalised training and give trainees the option to choose which learning style suits them best, whether that be e-learning, simulation, in-house or testing. When you put the power in the hands of the learner you are giving them a choice which helps them to be more engaged.

5. Make it user-friendly

This can often be overlooked as most companies focus on content completely and not enough on user experience. If your information is not structured well enough and learners find navigating training difficult, they will lose interest. Training should be intuitive and provide clear, consistent instructions while explaining expectations at the beginning.

6. Embrace technology

Thinking about professional training can inspire images of yawning people being guided through PowerPoint slides. This doesn't have to be the way! Learning technology is an aid to make training more enjoyable and accessible.

Technology and the internet are intrinsically linked to all aspects of our lives, so if these are not reflected in training it doesn't come as a surprise that learners will be disengaged. Today we have a broad range of options at our disposal. Social media, e-learning, gamification techniques, and even virtual reality can be utilised in a way that makes professional training fun and engaging.

7. Make it memorable

Learning doesn't just happen. The more memorable training is, the longer learning will extend beyond the learning experience. Use appropriate attention-grabbing mechanisms, and link content to anecdotes. Maybe even plan short and informal refresher sessions that help to make the knowledge stick.

8. Make it social

Encouraging learners to talk about the training they have experienced is a great way to generate excitement around learning and development as well as helping training stick. Giving employees a space to discuss training online or in an internal intranet can be a great way to get feedback too. You should in no way need to force the conversation, by following the above steps your training should stand out and generate word of mouth without much help.

9. Track progress

Tracking progress and the effectiveness of training is a simple concept in theory but unfortunately is often overlooked and ignored or implemented as a tick box exercise. You should be actively engaged in finding out how the learners found the training, what benefits they are experiencing and how often they utilise their training in their day to day job. This helps to optimise productivity and keep employees engaged in their roles.

Here at MKC Training we are experts at designing and delivering training that is right for your business. Whether you are looking for bespoke training or standard qualifications, we can train your employees to be the best. With world class facilities, the most up-to-date equipment and trainers who balance industry knowledge with academic theory, we are well placed to deliver perfectly tailored training to suit your business's needs. To find out what we can do for you, contact us here.

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