Enhancing workforce skills: Employers guide to employee training

Training is an essential means of equipping your employees with the skills they need for success in the modern workplace. Whether you’re training new hires or developing current employees’ technical expertise or leadership skills, it should enhance employee performance and drive company growth.

With more employees aging out of the workforce and emerging skill gaps, training has never been more crucial for Canadian businesses.

So, now is the perfect time to explore the concept of employee training and its importance. Read on as we guide you through implementing effective training programs for a thriving workforce and how a learning management system can make the difference.

Why is training important for your business and employees?

Training is of immense value as it allows for the development of a skilled workforce with the ability to satisfy and exceed your evolving business needs. By investing in your employees’ growth, you’ll be setting the stage for improved performance and future readiness.

Such a commitment to continuous improvement may well give your business a competitive edge. It can be the difference in the realization of employee and business potential.

How to understand your employees' training needs

You should be prepared to conduct a thorough assessment to identify the skills gaps in your workforce and specific training needs. This will involve reviewing the roles and responsibilities that your workers are expected to fulfil.

It’ll also mean having direct conversations about worker challenges and future aspirations. Given the rise of automated technologies, the changing nature of employee tasks and responsibilities should be considered.

A structured approach will work best when assessing training needs. This might begin with reviewing factors like your organization’s mission and goals. You should then be able to identify the key skills that must be developed for your business to progress.

Focus on critical tasks your employees are struggling with or unable to perform, and build your training plan accordingly.

You can establish employee training needs in the following ways:

• Creating job profiles and identifying the skills needed in each role

• Building inventories of the skills that your staff already have

• Conducting surveys and interviews for employee feedback

After identifying your organizational and employee needs you should have confidence in developing a customized training strategy. For instance, you might recognize the need to develop employee time management and communication skills through a suitably focused training program.

What are the different types of employee training methods you can use?

With different employees preferring to learn in different ways, it makes good sense to adopt different training styles and methods. On-the-job training often proves particularly effective, with workers ideally given the opportunity to apply lessons in the real-world business environment.

Different types of training you can utilize include:

Workshops and seminars

Where a suitably qualified instructor shares specialized skills and knowledge with a group of employees. These sessions may provide the opportunity for collaboration and in-depth discussions.

Mentoring

Where an employee is partnered with a more experienced colleague for guided learning. Such relationships may be formed over an extended period, with regular check-ins to discuss the employee’s performance.

Role play and simulations

Where employees are allowed to practice their learned skills in real or simulated workplace environments. Such practice can be observed, with feedback given for better performance.

There’s also the option of self-paced e-learning, with employees given access to a purpose-made learning management system such as BrightLearn.

This is a great choice for employee commitment and motivation, as they can log in and take courses on everything from fire safety to mental health awareness whenever and wherever they prefer. Suitable courses can be assigned, and progress tracked based on your organization's needs.

What are the benefits of investing in employee training?

Improved performance is the most apparent benefit of workplace training. Given the ability to achieve higher levels of efficiency and productivity, employees are likely to feel more confident and motivated in their roles. Your organization also benefits, with better quality of work leading to higher customer satisfaction and greater profits.

As mentioned, training is essential for adaptability in the rapidly changing workplace. This is particularly relevant given the changing nature of roles as new forms of technology are introduced. Indeed, PwC’s global workforce hopes and fears survey revealed that 77% of workers see the need to learn new skills or retrain entirely due to automation.

This need must be fulfilled to minimize worker anxiety and remain competitive in the increasingly digitized world.

Other benefits of training include:

• Preparing employees for career progression

• Reducing the time and effort needed to complete tasks

• Encouraging knowledge-sharing across the company

• Lowering risks and improving incident management

• Boosting employee retention and attracting top talent

Get BrightLearn for your employee training

Given the range of benefits, you’ll undoubtedly recognize the importance of investing in employee training for your Canadian business. However, this doesn’t mean spending money on long, exhausting training days.

Instead, you can upskill your staff with BrightLearn, our fully integrated learning management system. With access to HRPA CPD Pre-Aproved courses covering all of the HR and Health and Safety essentials, it’s the best way to attract and engage staff through business-focused growth.

Check out these BrightLearn benefits:

• Simple course assignment and deadline scheduling

• Engaging learning with tests, quizzes, and certificates

• Regular updates and new courses, so there's always something fresh

• On-the-go learning with the free BrightHR app

Are you ready to take your company training to the next level? Go ahead and book your free BrightHR demo today!