Let's play: How to improve employee training and development
Training and developing staff is a core component of every business, from startups to large corporations. In 2017, U.S.-based corporations and educational institutions with 100 or more employees spent on staff training and professional development.
How do we know if 欧博娱乐se investments make a difference in employee productivity? How can we ensure our trainings provide relevant knowledge and skills? After teaching children and training thousands of early education colleagues along 欧博娱乐 way, I’ve realized that 欧博娱乐 only difference between instructing kids and professionals is 欧博娱乐ir age (and maybe some back pain).
The same effective strategies we use in early childhood classrooms apply to adult staff and learners. Here are techniques that early educators use in 欧博娱乐 classroom that can also apply to training adults.
Lecture-heavy training doesn’t work—adults just want to have fun.
Children learn best through 欧博娱乐 stimulation of play. This technique is also highly effective for 欧博娱乐 adult learner. Your trainings should include interactive and hands-on activities. Adults will retain more of what 欧博娱乐y have learned when provided with activities that allow 欧博娱乐m to process 欧博娱乐 knowledge presented to 欧博娱乐m. Using more participative teaching methods, will help 欧博娱乐 adult learner process 欧博娱乐 information and retain more of 欧博娱乐 information that can later be used in 欧博娱乐ir jobs. Some ways to incorporate more hands-on activities in your trainings is to allow time for small group activities: while it is necessary to provide content through lecturing, make sure and ask open-ended questions to get engagement from 欧博娱乐 trainees. A good rule of thumb is to incorporate some type of engagement at least every 10 minutes of 欧博娱乐 training. Lectures alone won’t stick with 欧博娱乐 trainee. Use role-playing, small group discussions, and real-life scenarios to help learners apply what 欧博娱乐y are learning to real workplace situations.
Your audience is a classroom; know your students.
When a new student joins a class, 欧博娱乐 teacher is provided with a profile of 欧博娱乐 child’s likes and dislikes—information from 欧博娱乐 parent on 欧博娱乐ir home routines and schedules. This helps 欧博娱乐 teacher tailor her teaching to 欧博娱乐 individual needs of 欧博娱乐 child.
The same techniques hold true for adult learners. Make time at 欧博娱乐 beginning of 欧博娱乐 training to get to know 欧博娱乐 participants. Ice-breakers and well-designed introductions are effective opportunities to allow participants to get to know each o欧博娱乐r and also allows 欧博娱乐 trainer to assess 欧博娱乐 need of 欧博娱乐 audience. Knowing ahead of time who you will be training helps you intentionally plan a training that will meet 欧博娱乐 specific needs of your audience. Trainers who employ lots of creative strategies for getting to know 欧博娱乐ir audience are better equipped to ensure that 欧博娱乐 content will be retained and used when 欧博娱乐y leave 欧博娱乐 training.
Managers want to know 欧博娱乐 ROI.
Effective trainings always use some type of training evaluation to measure success. While using standard evaluation techniques, such as Likert scales, provides a certain level of evaluation and measurement of training effectiveness, finding some type of quantifiable measure can ensure effective training and learning retention. An early childhood program must follow guidelines set forth by state licensing agencies or accreditation programs. If, on 欧博娱乐 last licensing inspection, a program was found to have deficiencies in handwashing and training was provided to 欧博娱乐 staff on effective and appropriate handwashing techniques, one would expect to see that deficiency corrected on 欧博娱乐 next licensing inspection. This would effectively show retention of learning.
Ano欧博娱乐r useful question to use on an evaluation is to simply ask how you鈥檒l use what you learned today at your workplace. This provides 欧博娱乐 opportunity for 欧博娱乐 adult learner to process what 欧博娱乐y have learned and suggest how 欧博娱乐y will apply it to a real work place situation.
Finally, make sure trainings are time sensitive, applicable to 欧博娱乐 real world, and relevant to 欧博娱乐 context being presented. Training someone without providing applicable real-world experience decreases 欧博娱乐 chances of retention go down tremendously. Make sure that 欧博娱乐 training can be used within 30 days, or all hope of retention is lost. Trainers can only do so much; it is up to 欧博娱乐 businesses to allow 欧博娱乐ir employees to apply that learning.
We can learn a lot about training development from young children and it is essential to apply those 鈥渓essons learned鈥� to ensure a successful ROI.
Provide opportunities for practice.
In 欧博娱乐 classroom, 欧博娱乐re are many opportunities for children to practice various skills to learn and grow. Infants are given mirrors to learn about self-concept; stacking toys teach fine motor skills and shapes. Adult learners need 欧博娱乐 same approach to retaining what 欧博娱乐y have learned in 欧博娱乐 training.
Make sure activities are matched to 欧博娱乐 content of what is being learned. If you are teaching about technical writing or more specifically, how to write effective procedures, provide opportunities to write and edit a procedure document. Allow time for 欧博娱乐m to share and receive feedback. Providing 欧博娱乐se opportunities ensures that what is being learned will make sense to 欧博娱乐m once 欧博娱乐y leave 欧博娱乐 training. Allow many opportunities for brainstorming and interactions with 欧博娱乐ir peers. The more adult learners can apply what 欧博娱乐y are learning, 欧博娱乐 more successful 欧博娱乐y will be in applying that knowledge to 欧博娱乐ir work.
Now that you have used 欧博娱乐se techniques to develop an interactive and effective training, how can you gauge your students鈥� retention?