Training, when done right, has a direct and measurable effect on performance. Almost always, when you have issues with productivity or quality or customer service, it can be traced directly back to your training programs. Similarly, companies that excel in training their global workforce can measure the improvements in these issues. Global training, then, isn’t an isolated activity within the enterprise. It must always be married to production and focused on the goals and mission of the organization. Here are the basics, the ABCs, of corporate training.
Activities in Training Should Reflect All the Learning Styles
One of the reasons that eLearning is becoming so popular in the corporate universe is not just because it’s inexpensive and easy to deliver consistently across large organizations, although it is definitely both of those. The benefits of eLearning include the ability to offer multimedia learning environments that allow each of the various learning styles to learn the most effective way.
For example, you can include a mixture of spoken, written, illustrated, and interactive learning, so that each style of learner is given the absolute best opportunities to learn, grow, and benefit from the global training. Some eLearning courses are administered by a local trainer, others are designed to be delivered directly to employees without a facilitator. But in both cases, every learning style should be addressed for optimal effectiveness.
Benefits of Training Must be Made Clear to the Employees
Studies show that in order for training to be effective, the trainees must understand “what’s in it for them”. Make sure they get the ‘why’ of this particular training, not just why it is good for the company, but why it is beneficial for the individual. This helps achieve employee buy-in.
Employees engage much more aggressively with training when they know the skills, knowledge, and insight they’re learning will help them grow and prosper, as people, not just as a worker within your organization. This is why developmental programs like Franklin-Covey, Myers-Briggs, and DISC are so effective in the enterprise environment.
Choose Experts in the Subject Matter, Not Just “Trainers”
It’s good to have trainers who are experienced teachers. But it’s disastrous to have trainers who are great teachers, but in the dark about how various employees do what they do every day. Not only are they unable to teach what employees need to know, they end up frustrating workers. Have you ever heard employees grumble that the people over them, telling them what to do, can’t even do their jobs?
Hire trainers with in-depth knowledge of the industry, and then fill them with deep insight in your company and how it fits within the marketplace. Make sure they understand what your mission is, what your key selling points are, what your customers’ pain points are, and how your production employees do their jobs every day.
Develop Your Trainers Continually So That They Can Develop Better Producers
Just like any employee, trainers need to feel valued; they need to believe they are a crucial part of the organization. Like those they instruct and teach, they need to know that the effort they are putting in benefits both them and the company as a whole.
The ideal way to make your trainers feel like a vital part of the organization is to regularly have them working side-by-side with the employees they are charged with training. Make sure they can do all the processes that any production worker can. Also, expose them to the “bigger picture”. Trainers should have a window into and a voice in everything from executive management to HR to accounting and R&D. Consider giving your training manager a seat in the C-suite, so that their voices, ideas, and concerns are heard along with those in the other departments.
Ensure the Right People are on Your Training Teams
Hard skills are essential for a trainer, but don’t overlook the importance of those soft skills, too. Do your trainers have an engaging passion for the subject matters? Do they have a deep knowledge and love for the industry? Do they have a heart for teaching and passing along their insight and knowledge? Do they have the types of personalities that inspire others and foster good learning?
Think back to the teachers who most engaged and inspired you when you were in school and college. What qualities did they have that motivated you to delve into their subjects with gusto? Look for these same qualities in your trainers.
Once your trainers and training programs are well-developed, be sure that your materials are translated and localized accurately for the other languages relevant to your organization. You want the training programs you provide in Brazil, Spain, and Singapore to be as engaging, enriching, and exciting as those developed for your stateside workforce. Turn to the pros at True Language for all your corporate language services. Request a FREE quote today or call us now at 1-888-926-9245 Yes, we do eLearning!
