12 tips to improve training and development

Workers see value in opportunities to grow. Lack of training and development is one reason why employees leave to grow somewhere else.

Organizations perform at a higher level when they see value in an employee’s desire to improve themselves and the business. Efforts to nurture a culture of development are most successful when employees, managers, and leaders are all on the same page.

Successful companies invest in training and development. These 12 tips will help any organization improve its training and development strategy.

1. Identify your needs: Companies have unique goals and requirements to create the most effective training and development plan. Even different teams might have unique needs. Ask managers and department leaders what kinds of training and development they think would be most effective.

2. Analyze staff performance: Often, employees provide insight about gaps in productivity. Those insights help leaders understand the “why” behind different teams’ performance levels.

3. Set realistic goals: From higher productivity and quality to customer and employee satisfaction, work toward goals. Company leaders might also consider the competition to adjust business goals.

4. Create metrics to measure progress: Metrics to measure training and development strategies can be simple, but managers should incorporate them into every step. Examples include cost of training, completion rates, and employee goal impacts.

5. Engage with employees: Consider employee satisfaction. People are more likely to believe the organization wants them to learn and grow when their input and participation are part of the strategy.

6. Match employee and management goals: Active participation in training and development strategies is one of the qualities of great managers.

They recognize programs strengthen employees. It is also constructive for managers and leaders to facilitate training sessions to engage employees and align employee and management goals.

7. Create a formal program: Schedule time for training and development programs, so the initiative doesn’t get forgotten when times get busier. A formal approach is better than ad-hoc training and ensures all team members have regular access to more training opportunities.

8. Start small and stay small: Keep realistic expectations and a fluid structure. This allows you to flex and change your training and development programs based on needs. Include smaller doses of continuous training to keep up with changes.

9. Provide various training types: Not all employees learn the same way, so it’s essential that companies offer many different types of training methods. Be inclusive of all learning styles. Finding the right balance of different training types takes time and communication with all levels throughout the organization.

10. Set aside time for regular constructive feedback: Feedback is a critical part of effective training and development strategies. Asking employees about their experience and the effectiveness of programs offers helpful insight for improvements and also can inform new training initiatives. 11. Adjust based on employee feedback: Companies with the best training and development programs operate with frequent, honest feedback. Incorporate employee feedback into training and development improvements. Take the extra step to share the changes you intend to make based on feedback. And when you cannot use every suggestion, communicate the reasons why.

12. Measure the outcomes: Know what impact you are making. Evaluate successes and failures when considering how to improve training and development.

Top Workplaces prioritize their training and development strategies because they know these are key drivers of employee engagement.