A whopping 9/10 employers struggle to recruit people with the right skills.
That’s one reason companies are investing in training programmes to upskill existing staff.
How do you make sure you’re getting the greatest return on that investment? Especially when you’re up against a huge enemy: forgetfulness.
One theory says you lose 75% of what you learn within just a few days.
Here’s advice from UK employers on how to implement training that actually makes a difference.
Start at the top
‘By engaging our senior leadership teams, we created buy-in and support from the top down. Senior managers participated in programmes and this showed that they understood the value of the training and approach taken.’ Wakefield Council
Make it flexible
‘There has to be flexibility within our plans to meet constant and continual changes of the business such as people changing roles and being promoted which happens throughout any process.’ Asda
Start small
‘In our sector there isn’t often a big budget to deliver projects. You don’t need a large budget to deliver effective change; energy and enthusiasm go a long way!’ The Donkey Sanctuary
‘The innovative, bite-sized approach we use for training provides competence whilst preventing the need for trainees to have excessive time away from work. New skills can be applied immediately and individuals can see the benefits of what they have learnt.’ J Murphy & Sons
Make it personal
‘By using case studies from our colleagues and customers we customised our training to make it completely relevant to us. Working with people’s real stories and experiences made a truly personal learning experience.’ East of England Co-operative
Reward effort
‘Engaging the trainee in the training process and recognising their achievements can contribute greatly to the intrinsic motivation of that staff member.’ Green Lighting Ltd
Get feedback
‘By seeking feedback each time we run our training sessions, we find new opportunities for change, sharing best practice, building the best team possible and empowering everyone to support one another.’ Caring Homes Group
Choose your own adventure
‘Early professionals are encouraged to drive their own learning by creating communities for specialist career development. This provides insight into different skill areas and enhances a learner’s breadth of knowledge.’ IBM UK
Share best practice
‘We work with other organisations with a similar need to upskill their colleagues but don’t necessarily have the resources or know how to set something up like this. So we have made it completely adoptable by other organisations.’ Barclays UK
‘Through a word of mouth approach our programmes have become sought-after due to the difference they are making to our leaders, their teams and the organisation. Our customers and partners have also noticed the difference and are wanting to understand what we have done.’ Ricoh UK
I agree that upskilling existing staff is the way to go, especially since we have the technology and workplace trainingprograms to achieve this. And best of all, learners can learn anywhere at any time, which is convenient for them. “One theory says you lose 75% of what you learn within just a few days.” Wow. That seems so high, but I can see it in my past, so who knows! I know that repetition, engagement, gamification, and mini/micro lessons help with retention. We can’t throw information at someone and expect them to retain it. The information needs to be reiterated and built upon in the following lessons. Making it personal is very important, too. Not everyone needs to know certain things and not everyone has the same skill-set. I’d be way less engaged if I was learning something way out of my realm. Also, rewarding effort and achievement is a fantastic way to boost engagement and productivity. Adults will work for rewards and recognition. Anyone will. I appreciate you sharing with your readers!