There is no question about the necessity of training. But according to a Forrester report, 40% of employees and managers are not satisfied with their on-the-job training. So when does training become unnecessary?
According to Training magazine, companies set aside 16% of their budgets to train staff. This is often because training has become the go-to solution for business problems. After all, a 30 minute PowerPoint presentation is easier than addressing difficult, core issues. However, this can lead to what we call “first gear training” where companies put in a lot of RPM’s but don’t get very far.
Why is this? Simply put, too much training is boring, unengaging, and not connected to the core problems that the training is meant to solve. Watching old videos and clicking through WordArt slideshows is an ineffective method of improving employee performance.
But what if employees took an active role in their learning? What if we turned them into instructors by asking them to demonstrate their skills?. Not only will they be more engaged with their training, they will retain what they learned.
More training won’t solve problems. But if we make training more engaging and make it relevant to an employee’s job performance, we can significantly improve our return on investment.
