The ultimate plan to train (new) employees

Table of contents

1. Step 1. Align the employee training with your business goals
2. Step 2. Identify and prioritize your employee training needs
3. Step 3. Choose a suitable employee training method
4. Step 4. Choose the proper training tools
5. Step 5. Evaluate and improve your training program
6. Build your ultimate plan to train (new) employees with Easy LMS

Step 1. Align the employee training with your business goals 

Whatever your business goals, reaching them is undeniably related to your employees' engagement and skill level [1]. The first step in developing your employee training plan is to link the learning goals with the business goals.

You need your employees to understand your organization's mission. It gives them context as to why developing their skills matters. When they know where and how much they contribute, they'll feel more engaged with your training program. Although they can vary, we will assume that some of your primary business goals relate to the following:

Increase productivity and profit

Your employees are your biggest asset

It cannot be the only business goal, but the primary purpose of any business is to earn a profit. In this endeavor, your employees are your biggest asset. Employees who are highly skilled and confident can work quickly without sacrificing quality or making mistakes. They will also have an understanding deep enough to identify waste and improve processes. 

Customer satisfaction will also improve with more knowledgeable staff. All companies depend on their employees to handle most of the workload, from product design to customer service. Their skills contribute to all aspects of your business, so the relationship is clear. By developing their skills, they will take your product and service to new heights. The better your product and service, the more you can retain and attract customers. Profit!

Close skill gaps

Next, consider what skill gaps hinder your company's productivity and profitability. Across industries, changing trends and methods are rapid. Your employee training and development plan needs to evolve too. To determine which direction to go, identify what your employees are missing. You can do this through questionnaires, assessments, and one-on-one conversations.

There are many methods for determining their current knowledge level. This knowledge will help you design courses and other learning material that address your team's weaknesses and build on their strengths. 

Enhance onboarding

To maximize your business goals, you will also need to focus on an employee training program for new employees. It has an abundance of benefits for your business goals. Courses about fundamental values, structure, and policies align everyone with the company’s mission. With additional training material on daily tasks, your new employees will become productive more quickly. You can start benefiting from employee onboarding with our step-by-step guide.

Hire and retain better employees 

A new employee training plan gives your company a competitive advantage when hiring and retaining talent. As we discussed, your greatest asset is skilled employees. As younger generations enter the workforce, employees expect companies to invest in their development. Of 1,500 surveyed millennials, 80% reported that personal growth was the essential quality of a company's culture [2]. 

In addition to hiring better employees, employee training increases employee retention. Training sets clear expectations and gives them the tools they need to flourish in their new position. Glassdoor found that organizations with a strong onboarding program increased their new hire retention by 82% [3]. 

Organizations with a strong onboarding program increased their new hire retention by 82%

Step 2. Identify and prioritize your employee training needs

You will need to create a culture of continuous learning in your organization

To reap the benefits of an employee training plan, you will need to create a culture of continuous learning in your organization. First, identify what skills your employees need to succeed in their daily work. Then, prioritize their training needs. If you need help getting started, learn how to identify the training needs of your employees.

Step 3. Choose a suitable employee training method

After you determine and prioritize your training topics, it is time to focus on presenting the information to your employees. There are many types of employee training to choose from. Picking the right one is vital to turn your plan to train employees into a success. Let's go through the most popular types below and see when they work best.  

In-person training

In-person training happens synchronously, meaning that instruction happens together, at the same time, and in the same place. In-person training types include:

• Informal training between colleagues
• Lectures and workshops
• Hands-on training
• Job rotation
• Coaching

We recommend in-person training for the following scenarios:

• Complex topics. Employees learn high-level knowledge, operative techniques, and practical-based skills best in person.
• Big budget. Most in-person training methods require a lot of time and resources. Extra costs come from travel expenses, training facilities, trainer wages, and printed material.

Online training 

Online training is a training method that takes place on the internet. This type of training can be asynchronous, where employees learn independently from the trainer and other students. It can also happen in real-time. Online training can include:

• Pre-recorded videos
• Digital courses and exams
• Online games or quizzes
• Documents stored online
• Webinars
• Online meetings like Zoom

We recommend online training for the following scenarios:

• Limited time. Online training requires less time than face-to-face learning. For instance, taking a quick 20-minute course is more accessible than attending a two-hour lecture.
• Suitable topics. Theoretical knowledge of facts, theories, and rules is ideal for online learning.
• Small budget. Online training eliminates the additional costs associated with in-person training.

Blended learning 

Blended learning is the combination of in-person and online training.

For example, employees would take online assignments to prepare for an in-person lecture. There are a multitude of benefits to using blended learning including scalability, flexibility, and affordability.

We recommend blended training for the following scenarios:

• Your training covers multiple skills. Some of your training topics might lend themselves to online training, whereas others may not.
• You want the best of both worlds. It gives employees more flexibility and independence to learn with online training. But, they will still have moments to interact with their peers. 

Peer training

Peer training is a training method where a seasoned colleague teaches a junior or new employee. These moments can be formal and informal. For instance, it can include:

• A senior employee guiding a junior employee through a task
• Answering questions
• Demonstrations 

Peer training is always an excellent addition to the other training methods!

Step 4. Choose the proper training tools 

Most importantly, your training needs to consist of engaging and consistently high-quality learning material. The best tool to accomplish this will change with the training method. 

• Online learning management system (LMS). When it comes to online training and blended learning, we recommend using an online LMS to create, store, share, and track your training material. It will help you store your training content in one place rather than making your employees comb through PDFs on your company's intranet, Word documents in Google Drive, and videos on YouTube. It also makes maintaining your online content much more manageable. Here is more advice on choosing an LMS.
• Online conferencing tools. For the online sessions, you can use conferencing tools like GoToMeeting and Zoom. You will want to make sure that it supports enough employees joining at the same time. You might also want to have screen sharing and integrations with your LMS.
• Classroom lectures and conferences. This in-person method is excellent for teaching complex or practical-based skills. Since it is in-person, your employees might find it more motivating and social. You'll want a skilled speaker or experienced professional to conduct the training for the best results. 

Step 5. Evaluate and improve your training program 

Test the quality of your plan through a small group

Last but not least, it is essential to evaluate whether your employee training program works. Before expanding your plan to the whole company, test its quality through a small group. Ask for feedback following in-person training sessions with a focus group. Or give exams to test knowledge following online and in-person training. If your employees reliably miss a particular question, it can indicate that you need to revamp that aspect of your course. 

Build your ultimate plan to train (new) employees with Easy LMS

Easy LMS includes all the features you need to support online and blended training methods. 

• Academy. Our Academy provides a central, cloud-based location to organize and share your learning content. You can manage training material and employees by job role or team. Employees can access everything from one overview that shows them their progress.
• Online Course creation. You can combine text, images, audio clips, videos, and links to web pages to make engaging, informative Courses. Employees can access them at any time and from anywhere!
• Learning paths. Our Academy includes learning paths, which is ideal when your training consists of multiple online Courses that need to be taken in a set order.
• Easy distribution. With just one invitation email, your employee will receive a unique link and password that will give them access to their entire training program.
• Track results. Easy LMS records the progress of your participants through Courses and Exams. Our reporting will enable you to constantly evaluate the efficacy of your training program and identify skill gaps.

In addition to its features, Easy LMS stands out for its user-friendly design and affordable pricing. Our flexible subscriptions start as low as $50 per month. And, we don't charge per participant! 

Useful resources

1. Gallup
2. CNBC
3. Brandon Hall Group 

Frequently Asked Questions