Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

By Kyle Reynolds

When training your employees, it’s crucial to make sure you’re covering aspects which will not only help them complete their work more efficiently, but that will also aid them in their professional development. Whilst there’s bound to be new company specific programs, tasks and protocols to learn, it’s well worth checking that your training process includes important areas that will support your team as a whole.

Naturally, new employees will need a certain amount of training to help them settle into their roles, but ongoing, routine training across all levels is key for a progressive and healthy business. Here, we look at three of the most important things to train all employees in.

Communication

Learning how to communicate in a professional manner is essential for all employees, as it presents your business as a respectable, professional body and allows your staff to uphold your reputation. This is especially important for any customer or client-facing employees, as they’re the public front of your organization, but it’s an important skill everyone should learn and continually develop.

Conflict resolution, telephone etiquette and active listening should also all be a part of regular training, to build the emotional intelligence and professionalism of your employees. When effective communication is demonstrated from top level executives down to junior members of the team, workplace morale is boosted. By leading by example, you can build trust and integrity from the inside out, which in turn increases the productivity and efficiency of all staff across the organization.

Goal setting

A high-performing, positive workplace culture is one that largely encourages a growth mindset. Teaching and encouraging employees to set themselves goals for their professional development is a brilliant way to push your entire organization forwards.

As well as being transparent with company goals, managers should schedule regular catch ups to keep up to date with the individual progression of their employees. By supporting them to achieve their own goals, you’ll be more likely to upskill your existing employees and increase your staff retention rate, reducing the need to hire new people.

Be sure to celebrate success and demonstrate a culture where each employee’s opinions are valued, to ensure your entire team feels motivated to bring new ideas and solutions to the table. When employees feel valued as individuals, everyone benefits. Taking the time to support your employees with both personal and professional goals is one of the best ways to enhance job satisfaction.

Health and safety

Depending on the nature of your business, health and safety training may encompass many different aspects. Whether you need employees to be able to complete risk assessments, know how to safely handle hazardous materials, understand cyber security, or be aware of food allergens, this section of employee training should be acutely tailored to your business needs.

The risks of not thoroughly ensuring your employees understand safety in the workplace are severe. Not only can it increase the chance of accidents and injury but also set you back in terms of your integrity as a business, especially when it comes to digital attacks.

While it can be tempting to get your new employees stuck in with new tasks as soon as possible, taking the time to ensure they’re properly trained reduces the risk of mistakes, injury, or compromise to your data security. Refresher courses for existing staff to ensure everyone is on the same page are essential, especially where dangerous activities or materials are used, to protect both your business and your employees.

Be a responsible employer

Responsible employers take training seriously, and in return their employees feel safe, educated, and empowered to do their best at work. Investing time and resources into thorough training of both existing and new employees sends a powerful message throughout your organization; it shows that you care about your employees’ welfare and hold strong ethical values within your business.

By ensuring everyone receives regular training to boost not only their role-specific needs but also their wider professional development, you’ll be working towards building a formidable workplace culture and reputation for your business.

____________

As a health and safety manager, Kyle Reynolds understands the importance of properly training employees. He enjoys sharing his knowledge to help small business owners take the necessary steps to protecting both themselves and their employees when it comes to efficient training.