Training programs for employees have been identified as a high-priority investment across a number of industries, with more than 43 billion dollars of growth expected for the global corporate training market in the coming years.

What has driven so many companies to invest in training for their teams? The likely answer is the number of benefits training programs provide. Offering training for employees has been shown to reduce employee turnover, improve productivity, and increase profits.

Training is a powerful factor in long-term organizational success, but it also requires intention and planning to be effective. How can we make the best use of the time and costs that go into making these programs possible?

Here are 4 ways to make sure training programs are impactful, repeatable, and well-received.

Preparation as a Key to Success

Why is training being offered? Whether as a required compliance step or as an optional offering for upskilling employees, communicating the purpose and value of training upfront during planning increases program engagement. Put simply: people want to know why training is relevant to them and their role!

Some important steps to take when preparing for the training:

• Share any preparatory materials with participants. This can be done using a tool like Donut Journeys to deliver content right in Slack.
• Think ahead about obstacles and how to approach them. What challenges might be encountered when rolling out a program? For example, if the training is for a new piece of software that teammates are unenthusiastic about, a useful part of preparation may involve explaining that the training will make it a lot quicker and easier to use the new software.
• Take time to practice: Doing this may help uncover unexpected questions or needed adjustments.
• Promote it. Get people excited about it!
• Account for the unexpected. What’s the plan to address things such as a disruptive participant or a change in trainer availability? Have a plan in place!

Set Expectations

Teammates should know what they will (and won’t) be getting out of a training session. By having an idea of what they can expect from their training, participants can feel prepared and set up for success.

Questions that can be answered in advance:

• What’s the agenda? Knowing the planned flow of a training can help with focus and eliminate the distraction of wondering what might be next.
• How much time will the training take? It’s usually helpful to share an estimate.
• Are there any potential follow-up knowledge checks, attestations, or tests? This may be useful for employees to know as it may change how they engage with the content.
• How are employees expected to participate? For example: is asking questions during the training encouraged or will there instead be dedicated time after?

Consider Team Access Needs

Access needs are, as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network puts it, “something a person needs to communicate, learn, and take part in an activity.” Everyone learns differently and effective training incorporates that.

For many non-disabled people, most day-to-day access needs might be fulfilled already and thus go unnoticed, but we all have access needs!

In the context of this section, we’d also encourage thinking to go beyond simply meeting access needs to instead consider ways to make things easier and more enjoyable.

For example: One employee might find it easier to stay present during a presentation if they know the slides and speaker notes will be shared afterward. That way, they can focus on listening instead of taking notes. For someone else, the act of notetaking might be how they best process and retain information. Everyone engages differently—and that’s okay!

Some strategies for greater accessibility:

• Survey for access needs ahead of time, or reference pre-existing information. This information may have been collected previously, but it’s important to have! This will inform how the program may need to be structured or if extra services (such as ASL interpretation) may be required.
• Provide content notes where appropriate. For example: Does a program contain flashing? Does it cover sensitive topics? It’s generally best to provide notice for this.
• Avoid surprises. Things like meditation or prolonged standing may be an issue for some attendees. By informing participants about factors like this in advance, you are ensuring teammates can make informed decisions.
• Create multiple formats for learning. Some ideas: supplement presentations with handouts, explicitly acknowledge that employees can stim or move or multitask during presentation. Consider making recordings and providing non-synchronous options for engagement.

Follow Up

Successful training is more than just the time spent presenting a program. What happens afterwards matters a lot!

Here are some ways to ensure lasting impact:

• Provide follow up materials. This can (and should) be things like sharing slide decks, but it can also include things like additional materials that give employees the opportunity to take their learning further.
• Revisit content after some time has passed. This is a great way to reinforce prior learnings and give teams the opportunity to apply their knowledge practically, further cementing their new skills.
• Solicit feedback. Feedback is so important. It makes future programming better and helps teammates feel heard. Consider implementing post-training surveys or even some planned discussion.
• For optional trainings: Promote future occurrences to participants, giving them early opportunities to get involved—and possibly even facilitate themselves!

What do you think are the ingredients of a great training program? We’d love to know! You can get in touch with us via [email protected].

Check out Donut Journeys to build scalable and supportive training programs for your team.