Employee Training Like a Boss
Go from running on a hamster wheel to an operational efficiency savant!
Is developing your company's training or standard operating procedures (SOP) on the back burner because you don’t know where to start?
Or are you recreating a process every time a situation arises? THINK, what task or procedure have you had to show someone more than 3 times?
Are you ready to gain minutes, hours, even days back to your life and have your team run efficiently? Then you are at the right place at the right time! This article will assure you it can be done in less time than you imagine with the right tools and proven strategy.
Every company has at least one "really complicated, difficult to train, it's going to take forever to learn" subject within their business.
It can be overwhelming for managers/owners trying to think of how to take a new hire or a promoted employee from where they're currently at to where they need to be while juggling current commitments.
Organizations without a process and tools, often deal with issues as they arise rather than be preventative with their efforts to invest in creating a training system for their most valuable positions. Now more than ever, retaining talent is critical and people want to know what their career path for growth is.
We're going to demonstrate how it is possible to create a training program for even the most complex positions. The examples below may seem simple but the efforts to get them operational and most importantly, gain organizational adoption, are not. Training is an investment and the ROI can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months to see but the outcome of documenting and parking tribal knowledge in a single location is invaluable for growth.
Here are some facts that may surprise you and have you reflect on your own team:
Nearly 59% of employees claim they had no workplace training and that most of their skills were self-taught.
61% of adults in the United States seek career development opportunities when considering job opportunities.
87% of millennials believe learning and development in the workplace are important.
70% of employees would be somewhat likely to leave their current job to work for an organization known for investing in employee development and learning.
Nearly 50% of managers with over ten years of experience claim they’ve only received about nine total hours of training.
Source: 2021 study by Lorman
I know what you are thinking, sounds daunting. It doesn’t have to be. Consider this:
Stop trying to boil the ocean. - Start with your most challenging or repetitive task. Create a simple strategy and break down at a high level the subject matter into small chunks.
You're looking at things through the wrong lens. - Everyone has different skills and all of us had to start somewhere; begin with the fundamentals, terminology, and purpose of the subject, and grow from there.
Just because you understand it, doesn't mean others do. - Accept that to implement lasting adoption, you will need to have an easy-to-access tool and clarity in the process.
Here are five examples of challenging positions that can be overcome with an effective training program.
Sales Training
Technology Operations Training
Productivity Training
CNC Machine Operator Training
Shipping Training
If you think you have a task or position that is too complex to have a training program built around it, we accept the challenge and will prove to you that it is possible with our 6 Step Ignite Program! Email us at contact@carreraconsult.com with your training nightmare and we will dissect it and present our recommendations for a solution to you and your team over a 30-minute call.
Sales Training
Does your sales team operate in unison like Olympic synchronized swimming or are they more like marbles that fell out of the bag? Sales training programs are crucial to having your sales team operate efficiently working on the right opportunities to gain optimal success. Training on sales prospecting tools creates consistency with pipeline and momentum toward OKR's. Training programs also ensure your teams are subject matter experts (SME) with curated content, so they are aware of the latest trends, product knowledge, and processes. In addition, this investment also helps you create an environment of motivation and enthusiasm!
An example of a sales training structure-
Company mission, vision, values, origin story.
Product/service value statement, objections, and rebuttals.
Demo videos of conversations or case studies.
Sales methodology (SPIN, BANT, Challenger, etc.)
1 on 1 training, Loom video recordings, and quizzes.
Time savings: 20 to 30+ hours per new hire/employee
Technology Operations Training
The people using your technology are the business's greatest asset. The most common roadblock to user adoption is a lack of training and understanding of how the system works. An example is a software that's used out of the box is not designed for busy users, but many implemented tools have rarely been configured to maximize their effectiveness. But whether there is a team or you are the de facto technology person at your organization, documenting SOP's and having basic training in place will significantly decrease the time to resolve issues.
An example of a technology operations training structure-
Infrastructure, routing and desired workflow documentation.
Cyber security prevention and testing.
Storage, automation, and integrations management.
Expansion plans and hardware/software upgrade planning.
Time savings: 10 to 20+ hours per new hire/employee
Productivity Training
Covid has impacted every business on a variety of levels, but there has been no greater impact than on employee productivity. Many businesses benefitted from the implementation of agile systems such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, while others are still struggling to adapt to their many incredible features. In a world of over notifications, it can be challenging to stay focused. The goal of this training is to empower your staff to become effective communicators and productive contributors to the never-ending list of deliverables coming at them every week.
An example of a productivity training structure-
Calendar blocking and personal workflow.
Setting expectations with response times and prioritization of tasks.
Taking breaks and managing mental health.
Creating automated workflows using Microsoft Power Automate or Zapier.
Clear and actionable reporting for activity and output. How do you know if you're having a good day or bad day and how to pivot.
Time savings: 5 to 10+ hours per new hire/employee
CNC Machine Operator Training
Operating a CNC machine can be intimidating. The equipment is expensive and there are general safety concerns with the moving parts. Understanding the principles of the machine (inside and out) will significantly improve an operator's confidence and competence. Learning is often easier when it's interactive, so making the training program hands-on and fun with test files is important. Walkthrough videos would also be heavily used with this subject to maximize comfort with the machine and improve knowledge retention.
An example of a CNC machine operator training structure-
Learn about the equipment and safety procedures.
General usage, maintenance, and resources.
CAD/CAM software and tools training.
Test cut files and project sample completion.
Troubleshooting & FAQs.
Time savings: 20 to 40+ hours per new hire/employee
Shipping Department Training
A shipping training program can be tailored to fit the needs of any shipping department. Whether there are 5 employees shipping packages or 500, everyone must be on the same page. A shipping training program should include what is expected of each employee in terms of checking orders for accuracy and fulfillment within promised timeframes. If you're just starting and shipping out a few packages a day, chances are it's easy enough to just hand an employee the shipping information and go about your day. However, as shipping volumes increase, there's potential for massive confusion and mistakes caused by not knowing how to do everything according to plan.
An example of a shipping training structure-
Training on standards, processes, and procedures for packaging products.
Reverse logistics training processes (aka returned packages).
Understanding vendor strengths and weaknesses. Maintaining delivery expectations between shipping zones.
Efficiency in packaging products to minimize dimensional weight and be eco-friendly with packing materials.
Systems training with FedEx, UPS, or Shipstation software.
Time savings: 10 to 20+ hours per new hire/employee
Carrera Consulting designs and builds self-guided training programs for organizations that are looking to empower their employees with the resources to be successful. Having a trainer on staff is helpful but not required for our programs to operate effectively. The final product and content are 100% owned by our customers to allow for maximum autonomy with future adjustments to training.
We are ready to take on your most challenging task or position to train and share with you how it is possible to develop a process, tools, and plan for adoption. Reach out to us at this form or email us at sales@carreraconsult.com with a challenge your face and we will review and present our recommendations for a solution to you and your team over a 30-minute call.
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