While people are staying home and social distancing, businesses have opportunities to catch up on training and certifications. There is one thing that we can be sure about during this social distancing period is that there will be opportunities for your team to get better at what they do. According to LinkedIn’s 2019 Workforce Learning Report, 94 percent of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if it simply invested in helping them learn. This is a big opportunity for your team to increase proficiency with software, complete CTE credits, and complete on the job training to increase performance. During, and after, this difficult time, your team can become better at their job and happier with your leadership!
Bryant Consultants knows how much your business means to you and your customers. For years, American employers have complained that there weren’t enough workers with the skills they needed, a phenomenon often described as a skills gap. But at the same time, researchers argued that employers simply needed to invest in workforce training comparable to that of other industrialized economies. Now is the time to help your team improve those skills. The following are some great options to consider when developing your training plans:
Utilize Your Company’s Software
Software eases a business’ operations to the extent that it’s hard to imagine what life was like when one had to manage workflow, expenses, and other tasks before the technology boom. However, most companies are not utilizing their software to their fullest advantages.
Here are some tips to increase and sustain your software benefits:
- Designate an Expert
- Use your software with all it’s capable of boosting.
- Make sure your entire team is trained on using the software.
- Update and upgrade whenever it’s possible.
- Call your software company and ask a list of all the features in your subscription. Make sure you are getting your money’s worth!
Software is important to every business in this day and age, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t intimidating. With these tips, your team can make the most of your software, so it actually performs at the highest level for your business.
Complete CE Credits
There are numerous reasons why continuing education is beneficial for your team. Increased productivity and efficiency is one of the strongest reasons to invest in and encourage continuing education for your business. The more a person becomes skilled at their job, the more work that can be done in less time. This can create a cascading effect for your team, where efficiencies gained in one area, or department can inform and positively affect other business segments. A Gartner Research study asserts that for every hour spent on employee training, five hours of productivity are saved per year. During this uncertain time in the economy, having your team continue education in their profession can lead to increased productivity, upgraded technology skills, and employee retention. Plus, it allows your business to better serve customers once we get past the pandemic.
Job Mentoring, Cross-Training, Digital Training Manual
During this social distancing period or even periods of slowed pace, it is a great time for improving in-house training or training programs. With slowed pace, there may be fewer jobs to do. This could be utilized for job shadowing or job mentoring. A seasoned, productive, and top team member can take a newer team member with him or her on jobs. It’s a chance to show a new kid the ropes! It could be a Batman and Robin scenario. People generally learn best by doing. Working alongside the best can make a new team member better and feel more valuable and prepared.
While some team members mentor new employees, others could become cross-trained. Of course, it is imperative to have subject matter experts. However, what if your team lead in one area has to miss work for a significant time? It’s essential to have capable backups in all areas.
Overall training can be made standard and more efficient during this time. Developing a digital training manual is the perfect way to accomplish this goal. Standardizing all training areas improves efficiency, and everyone receives the same training. You can have your top team members in each area conduct the video training or virtual tours of the job. These can be saved on DropBox™ or posted to Slack™ for later incorporation to all new hire training.
The country is going through a stressful time. Social distancing is hard on everyone ranging from the customer to the employee to the owner. Increasing training, completing CE credits, and boosting in-house productivity is a way to improve your business and get ready for a surge in business opportunities when this difficult time is over. Your team will feel more job satisfaction and will really increase their respect for you and your leadership when they realize how much you are investing in them. Implementing these employee improvement measures will help your customer, your team, and your business in the long run. Bryant Consultants recommends you try these measures as soon as possible. If you are unsure of how to implement the digital training manual, train your staff, or have questions about recouping lost revenue, feel free to contact Bryant Consultants by calling (877) 768-4799.
Check out our services, read testimonials from our clients, and see our Google Reviews. If you are looking for a small business coach to help you during the coronavirus pandemic, Bryant Consultants is here to help.
Bryant Consultants is proud to serve clients, of various businesses, all across the United States.
