What comes to mind when you think of employee training? For most entrepreneurs and owners, the term conjures up traditional programs in which one or more current team members show new hires the ropes. While that definition is not technically incorrect, it’s certainly not all-encompassing. That’s because today’s organizations leverage dozens of ways to teach new employees to do their jobs, from in-person teams that focus on a single trainee to fleet management technology that can coach drivers while they’re on the road.
Other popular approaches include assigning a lone mentor to small groups of newcomers, AI (artificial intelligence) courses, stand-alone teaching centers for large groups, and wide-scale internship programs that serve as pipelines to full-time company employment. Which methods work best for your business depends on several factors like company size, industry, what kind of goods and services you sell, and more. Here are more details about the top training solutions for modern business organizations. Keep in mind that the larger the entity, the more likely it is that multiple techniques will be used simultaneously.
In-Person Training Teams
One of the newer wrinkles in on-the-job instruction is the team method. It’s different because it devotes several trainers, each with their area of specialty, to a single trainee. In a way, at least from the new person’s perspective, it’s like having a half-dozen or more mentors from day one. In the changing landscape of employee engagement, this might prove to be beneficial.
In-person teams offer efficiency because no mentor needs to spend more than an hour or so of their time with the trainee each day. And because the person who’s learning the ropes has multiple helpers, it helps develop personal bonds between various higher-ups in the company. Later on, these connections can develop further into specific mentor-protege relationships as the new hire advances through the rungs of the company hierarchy.
Fleet Management Programs and Software
How can fleet management programs train new and experienced drivers? One way is via AI dash cams that let managers view real-time views of the road and inside the cab. These effective systems allow for in-cab coaching but do much more than that. They also reduce overall costs by boosting efficiency, streamlining routes, detecting incidents as they happen, and preventing accidents. When fleet managers are able to access video evidence of driving habits and road conditions, they can offer helpful advice to drivers and resolve in-transit challenges of all kinds.
Group OTJ Programs with Mentors
Group-based OTJ (on the job) programs are a win-win for companies that use them. For starters, trainees get the advantage of learning in groups. One of the best tips for training new hires is to immerse them in a group setting, almost like a classroom setting but, in an office, instead of a schoolroom. For the mentor who leads the team of fresh hires, the experience can be rewarding and educational. Many large corporations want every mid-level manager to learn how to train incoming employees, and there’s no better way to acquire that skill than by actually doing it. In the financial and health care industries, this teaching style is becoming commonplace and serving as a sort of model for large entities in other industries.
AI-Based Courses
AI-based online coursework is one of the newest forms of educational training for incoming workers. One of the key advantages of this approach is that learners can work alone, make their way through a series of courses, take tests, learn a wide array of skills, and do it all from the comfort of their desks.
Stand-Alone Training Centers
Some organizations, like government agencies and large manufacturing firms, often hire hundreds of people at a time, all of whom need to learn the same set of skills. When that’s the case, training centers get the job done by operating on a school-like system, with structured classes, formal curricula, and regular tests.
