Employee Training

Employee Training Train Employees to Improve Workplace Performance Your company can create and implement employee training programs to guide people through changes in the workplace. Some common reasons for employee training include: • • • • • •

Changes in your customers’ needs Deployment of IT applications Growth or restructuring of your business Adoption of best practices or new business processes Launch of new product or services Performance improvement for specific tasks

An employee training program can be part of a comprehensive change management plan; however it is also important to craft the program to meet your training audiences’ individualized needs. Guide Employees through Change When change occurs within your business, people need help shifting from familiar habits to the new behaviors. We build comfortable patterns in our daily routine as we seek stability and familiarity. Sometimes we linger with these routines longer than we should, even when a better or easier solution available. An employee can view change as a threat to their stability or comfort levels. Employee training programs can minimize the discomfort caused by change. When employees feel confident with the new material, they will be more willing to change their own behaviors. Employee training can help your company implement change and achieve success. Some of the ways to guide your employees to feeling more comfortable about changes as they occur will be in the manner you present them. If you incorporate some of the following elements in your employee training, then change should be easier within your organization. • • • •

Discuss current practices Explain the reasons behind the change Demonstrate how the change will benefit the employees Listen to concerns and ideas

• •

Explore goals and envision results together Offer people a chance to practice in an environment away from clients and

• •

customers Invest resources and time to properly plan and implement change Praise, recognize, and reward those who adopt change best

Explore a Case Study Many companies invest in their employees through regular training programs, because they recognize that people are critical to their success. In our case study section, you can learn how a financial services company used web-based training to introduce its sales representatives to a new software application that tracked market transactions.

Shape Your Training Class In the traditional training class, participants gather together in a training room, receive a course manual, and learn from an instructor. Perhaps we are most familiar with this model since we spend so many years in school, sitting at our desks, listening to teachers. However, people can master workplace skills among many different settings. This section will help you evaluate different delivery options for your training class. Choose the Learning Space Two companies with similar training needs may choose very different training solutions. In addition to the needs of the training audience and course content, you must also consider issues such as space, project scope, budget, and travel. Here are four initial questions to help you when you visualize your training delivery options. • • • •

Are your participants in the same location? Are suitable training rooms available? Can your participants attend training at the same time? Will your participants need guidance from an instructor?

Every training project has various possible training solutions. In many cases, it makes sense to decide where people will learn best, and then shape the training class to that location.

Learning Space

How People Learn

Instructor Present?

Training Class

As a group

Yes

Virtual Classroom

As a group

Yes

The Web

Individually

No

Desktop

Individually or as a group

Yes or No

Pocket Reference Guide

Individually

No

Each of these choices still contains alternatives and variables. For example, if you choose a traditional training class format, you still might have to decide travel issues. Should participants meet at a central location for training, or should a trainer travel to them? Each training delivery option must be assessed for its potential benefits and costs. Assess Delivery Options Intulogy invites you to explore the delivery options for your training project: • • • • •

Instructor-led training Synchronous learning Web-based training Desktop training Pocket Reference Guides

For each training delivery method, we offer advice and links to relevant case studies in our training library.

Instructor Led Training Choosing Classroom Training Instructor led training provides a large-scale training delivery method that still remains personal, dynamic and interactive. Your participants practice skills and receive guidance from an expert facilitator. Each training project has different criteria and needs, but here are some guidelines to help you determine if instructor led training is right for your project:

• • • • •

How many people need training? Can they meet as a group in a common place? If so, will travel be required? Can participants dedicate time for training (and travel)? Is there a classroom available? Does it have the necessary technology? Do participants need hands-on practice and expert feedback?

Principles of Instructor Led Training Intulogy can design and deliver custom instructor led training for your employees. We emphasize the following training objectives: • • • • • •

Encourage hands-on practice Respect different adult learning styles Respond to participants questions Promote skills acquisition and mastery Offer participants the chance to practice Provide clear and immediate feedback

To learn more about our custom instructor led training capabilities, read how a telconferencing call center created intructor led training for its new hires.

E-learning What Are Good E-learning Options? E-learning offers interactivity and flexibility for training delivery in the workplace. Two common methods of delivery are self-paced and synchronous learning. In self-paced learning, the learner accesses and proceeds through the training individually. Synchronous learning is often considered a method of distance learning, since an instructor is still an active part of the training process. The table below compares the two forms. Self-Paced Learning Environment

Training Delivery

Tutorial Recorded media (CBT/WBT)

Synchronous Virtual classroom Live presentation

WebSoftware Required

browser or courseware reader No (mentor

Instructor

or help desk may be available)

Training Location

Course Delivery Class Size

Learner's desktop

Courseware or conferenceware application

Yes (may also be an asst. instructor)

Provided by host

Whenever

Courses

the user

scheduled and

accesses

announced

Individual

Varies

What are E-Learning Benefits? Greater Productivity: E-learning solutions, such as web-based training (WBT) and computer-based training (CBT), allow learners to study from their own desktop. Direct delivery can reduce productivity downtime and cut travel costs. Timely Delivery: During a rollout, e-learning can offer simultaneous application training to many participants. Good e-learning can provide justin-time training delivery to meet specific needs. Flexible Learning: E-learning often follows a modular design. In some designs, participants can choose their own learning path. Additionally, users may be able to bookmark key points for reference thus increasing behavior changes and business benefits. Cost-Per-Learner Savings: Perhaps most significantly, e-learning can produce a lower cost per learner than instructor-led training. However, custom elearning may have a higher up-front cost for design and development. We recommend a careful analysis to determine if e-learning is part of your project's Optimal Learning Solution (OLS). Our E-learning Design Philosophy Intulogy understands that e-learning benefits are achieved through sound instructional design choices. E-learning applications can offer amazing special effects, but the design should always focus on helping participants reach the

learning objectives. Even when employing new media, the basic principles of adult learning still apply. The e-learning program should: • • • •

Engage the participants Explain the training goals Present the material clearly Allow the chance to practice skills

Where possible, Intulogy will create learning modules that allow people to actually practice the skills that they learn. Practice and repetition leads to improved results in workplace performance. Match E-learning to Business Needs E-learning is a popular new method of training delivery, but it should only be selected when it meets both your participants' learning needs and your company's business needs. E-learning development may take more time than developing a paper-based course. Your project schedule should allow time for interactive content development, graphical development, and, where applicable, technology interface with your existing IT. Good e-learning solutions can recover these costs by achieving a lower per-participant cost during the implementation phase. Intulogy can also help you transform paper-based courses into e-learning solutions. We recommend a content review to determine how material can be redeveloped to take advantage of the new media's strengths. To learn more about e-learning projects, see how a financial services company applied web-based training to teach over 800 financial advisors about a new automated alert system.

The Advantages of Distance Learning Provide Live Training Online With distance learning, your company can deliver training without having to gather participants together in a single classroom. Live, instructor-led training can be presented while the participants are still at their own desks. Your participants meet in a virtual or electronic space. There, they can receive direct interaction, skills practice, and real-time instructor feedback. Because it is easier to bring participants together, distance learning can offer the benefits of just-in-time

training, reduced travel costs, and less productivity downtime. Overall, the advantages of distance learning can be very appealing to a business. In the past, distance learning meant videoconference and teleconference learning; the web, however, offers an e-learning alternative—synchronous WBT. Create a Virtual Classroom In synchronous WBT, learners meet together with the instructor in a shared virtual space. The instructor often uses a main room to present material using a combination of text, audio, and video. This process occurs in real-time, and participants can use secondary channels to ask questions, make observations, and share experiences. Instructors can present individual or group exercises, monitor the participant’s progress, and provide feedback. The synchronous WBT space is created through courseware and conferenceware. Participants can interact in breakout rooms and through text-chat features. Additionally, they may be able to simultaneously share a view of an application (such as browsers, spreadsheets, or documents). This allows the instructor the ability to demonstrate skills and observe students while they practice. Audio and video are also potential tools, depending on available connection speeds. Our Priority: Your Learners' Needs When your training project calls for a distance learning application, Intulogy can help match your learning objectives with specific distance learning technologies. Our team will work with your specialists to prepare the course, based on our Optimal Learning Solution (OLS) methodology. During the project, we give special attention to your learners' needs, so that we can prepare a clear, useful course and a smooth implementation experience. If you are considering a distance learning program for your company’s proprietary software application, Intulogy’s Proprietary Application Instructional Design (PAID) methodology will streamline the design and development process. During training delivery, Intulogy will take time to help your participants understand the capabilities of the distance learning environment. We believe that if people are comfortable with the learning environment, they will be able to focus on the material. Our trainers will help your participants become involved and active learners. Read a Story about Remote Training To read an example of a synchronous learning solution, visit our case studies section, which shows how a health care company created a custom synchronous learning course for its new hire account managers.

Desktop Training Bring Training to Your Learners Desktop training allows people to learn where they actually work. This learning method actually encompasses several different ways to provide training: • • • • •

Web-based training Synchronous e-learning Instructor-led conference calls Self-study training guides Quick-reference guides

Some of these delivery options still provide a live instructor (either online or via phone), but other methods require the learner to actively guide themselves through the course material. Benefits of Desktop Training Desktop learning minimizes travel time and eliminates the need for a formal classroom. Additionally, you can provide just-in-time delivery to accompany project rollouts. In a larger sense, desktop training does not even have to happen at an actual desk. Your company can deliver training wherever people work. So, if your company needs to teach a manufacturing process, it may make more sense to provide training beside the actual machinery rather than in a separate classroom. If your participants are especially busy people then a short, instructor-led desktop training session may work, as long as they can focus on the material. However, for more complex training topics, it may be worth the time and effort to bring even the busiest people into an actual training room. There, they can turn off the cellphone and focus on learning. Explore Possible Solutions In our case studies section, you can see how a financial services company created online help documentation for its policies, products, and procedures. For more information on how Intulogy can help you create a desktop learning solution, ask one of our experts.

Training Course Content Identify the Training Topics Your company’s training course can guide people to master various skills, acquire knowledge, and develop attitudes. When a class goes well, people gain confidence and apply these new behaviors long after training ends. A training course can teach any or all of the following topics:

• • •

Soft Skills—How to interact with people Technology Training—How to use something Process and Procedure—How to apply a concept or policy

Some classes may focus on just one of these topics, while other classes may cover all three. For example, a retail store might offer a three-day leadership training class to its district managers. However, newly hired sales associates might attend an orientation program that teaches customer service, pricing scanner techniques, and point-of-sale policies.

Define Training Course Objectives When Intulogy prepares a training course, our consultants will ask you three very important questions:

• • •

After training, what should people be able to do? Where will they apply this training? How will you measure their success?

If you are creating a new training course, then these questions may initially be difficult to answer. A training needs analysis will help you identify what your audience needs to learn. During the instructional design process, our consultants will aid you in finding the very best answers and create clear learning objectives.

Shape the Course to Achieve Results Your training course’s structure should reflect its learning objectives. A solution that works for leadership training may not work for a technical certification class. Here are a few examples of different types of course content:

Soft Skills • • •

Customer Service Training Leadership Training Train-the-Trainer

Technology Training • •

Off-the-Shelf Software Proprietary Software

Process and Procedure • •

Compliance Certification

Each of these pages link to relevant case studies in our training library. Intulogy’s trainers have provided training for these types of courses as well as many other custom content projects. If you do not see a specific training project listed, please contact one of our training experts.

Soft Skills Training Invest in Your Company’s People Soft skills training programs instruct people on how to interact with each other in the workplace. Companies work best when people work together smoothly as a team. While some people may have innate social skills, most of us learn these skills through practice. Soft skills training includes a wide variety of courses and can reach any training audience. Here are just a few possible examples:

•

Some new employees starting their first job may need to learn acceptable workplace behaviors

• • •

Employees who work with customers may need customer service training Trainers may desire to improve their training delivery skills Executives may seek leadership training to help them plan their corporate strategy

Additionally, soft skills training programs can also teach workplace fairness policies, such as those that cover sexual harassment or workplace discrimination.

Prepare People for Greater Responsibility Some soft skills training courses may prepare people to serve in new workplace roles or assume new responsibilities. When people interact with each other, they often assume different social roles. Soft skills training courses prepare people to interact in any of the following relational situations:

• • • •

Peer to peer Subordinate to supervisor Supervisor to subordinate Worker to client/customer

When people practice social skills through skills training, they will carry themselves with professional confidence.

Technical Training Create Technical Training for People When companies invest in technology, people must learn how to use these new tools confidently and correctly. We believe that successful technical training programs emphasize people rather than glamorize new technology. We find that this focus produces the following results:

• • • • •

Encourages users to adopt the new technology Builds confidence that lasts beyond the training session Reduces the dependence on expert users or help desks Creates a lasting improvement in employee productivity Maximizes the technology’s return on investment

We recommend that technical training projects begin with a training needs analysis to evaluate the technology, your company’s business needs, and most importantly your audience’s training needs.

Four Questions Every Participant Needs Answered Generally, people who attend workplace technical training classes have four basic questions they want answered:

• • • •

“What is this thing?” “Why are we changing?” “How and when do I use it?” “What is the right way to use it?”

If the training course answers these four questions thoroughly, then users can unlock the technology’s potential.

Intulogy’s Technical Training Methodology People learn best when they practice new technical skills and receive personalized feedback. Intulogy recommends that every technical training course contain practical hands-on exercises. In classroom training and synchronous e-learning, the instructor can observe the participant’s actions while providing instant responses. However, even self-study methods such as asynchronous web-based training and job aids can offer participants a chance to practice and confirm their skills mastery.

Business Process Training Prepare People for Greater Responsibility Business process training can help improve employee productivity and reduce errors. There are many different training audiences who can benefit from this type of training:

• • •

New hire employees can learn the company’s procedures Current employees can learn new procedures Managers can learn how to identify common process errors

Business process training can be part of an overall change management plan or even a sixsigma quality process. The company benefits from the process change when people understand the change and correctly utilize it in the workplace. In business process training, people step away from their day-to-day operations and enter a learning environment. During this time, people have a chance to practice the new process in a safe environment that will not affect real clients or customers. Your company can measure the effects of business process training through a formal training evaluation process. Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation allow companies to measure how individuals respond to training and how well they change their workplace behaviors afterwards. Your company can also use the evaluation process to measure the overall training return on investment.

Find Solutions for Your Company’s Needs In this area, you will find several examples of business process training solutions that you can adopt. At the end of each page, you will see a link to a related case study where you can read a story about how a company met an actual process training need. If you would like specific advice on your business process training project, you can contact Intulogy and ask an expert.

New Hire Training Welcome New Hires into Your Company Newly hired employees start their first day with both excitement and worry. They want to excel in their new job, but they do not know where to start. New hire training harnesses their enthusiasm, reduces their fears, and directs their energy. Training new employees isn't easy, yet it should not be left to chance. You cannot guarantee that a supervisor or peer will have both the free time or skills necessary to instruct the new employees. Therefore, your new hire training program should provide the following opportunities:

• • • • •

Create a comfortable learning environment Acknowledge that new concepts take time to learn Encourage people to practice new skills during the class Offer individual feedback to participants Welcome questions and provide timely, accurate answers

Your new hire training program should help people attain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.

Provide the Information People Need If you create a new training program, you might want to conduct a training needs analysis for the position. The course’s instructional design may include topics such as:

• • • •

Corporate policies and business processes Technology and software applications Compliance requirements Product and service information

Once you decide on the course content, format and length, you will need to decide how you will deliver the training. New hire training can include self-study web-based training, but it is often best to utilize a live trainer who can directly provide answers.

Learn from Experience If your company has an in-house team of trainers, then they may be able to train new employees as they are hired. However, when your company needs to hire and train many new people at the same time, training outsourcing may make sense. In our case study section, we explore how a residential mortgage lending company trained thousands of new hires during a period of historically low interest rates. See how they tackled this great challenge and turned it into an incredible win.