How to Reinforce Employee Trainings

Have you often wonder why your employees are performing effectively since they have already attended the training you have sent to too?
Are you still trying to find out the proper follow up metrics that can ensure your employees execute the learnings they have undergone during their trainings?

Whether you have the training budget to spend or you don't have, you can achieve anything if you can only think on right ways to reinforce employee trainings.  Here are a few tips we wish to share with you:

1. Provide effective training handouts.  -  I am sure your trainer is in charge of this, but often sometimes these trainers provide either too much of material, not sequenced or sometimes to little which makes employees confused based on what is being spoken and what is being printed on the handouts.  You being the Head of Training need to ensure your training handouts are the right needs matched to your employees. Speak with your trainer to ensure the following:

Identify the purpose of the handout.

Explain when and how it is to be used.

Make it easy to read.

Highlight key information in bold type.

Keep it short—1 or 2 pages is usually enough.

Use diagrams or pictures, if possible, to illustrate and reinforce written information.

2. Use coaching models - An effective way to follow up and make sure learning gets back to the job is to coach employees as they incorporate new knowledge and skills into their work.  Coaching is still a very new process in Malaysia.  Some companies adopt and some still doubt this model.  If you are open to this coaching model, here are some areas you can do by appointing certain reps internally acting as your internal coach and you can even hire external coaches:

• Observe your employees at work after the training session.
• Correct inappropriate behavior. Describe what you observed, point out the expected behavior, and note what needs improvement. Demonstrate the correct method or steps. Then have the employee perform the task correctly in front of you.
• Reinforce expected behavior. When you observe employees using skills and information from training, praise them for their behavior. Take advantage of routine supervisory meetings to reinforce expected behaviors and proper use of training on the job.

3. Frequent Post training follow ups - Organize regular follow up sessions.

Ask employees to review key concepts learned in training.

Talk about how newly acquired skills and knowledge are improving as they are being used on the job.

Discuss any problems in transferring skills and knowledge from the training session to the job.

4. Reinforce your training messages via your workplace communication channels.
- Use your workplace employee newsletter, safety newsletter, intranet, or posters to reinforce key training concepts.  You can provide continual tips, fun tests, and other means for your employees to apply and refine what they’ve learned.
5. A close call is a call to action. Mistakes, safety “near misses,” and other workplace faux pas can, and should, be used as a real time training opportunity. What you do about these warnings can make the difference between future mistakes and possible litigation, serious accidents, and other severe consequences. If you seize the moment and use a close call as a training opportunity, you could very well prevent a far more severe problem.