If your business is struggling with the transitions of employee turnover- the loss of legacy knowledge, the process of onboarding, and the continued investment in upskilling employees- having a structured system for training can help improve employee performance and engagement over time.

From Shadowing to Substance

On-the-job training is a mainstay of employee onboarding, but it shouldn’t be the only way to absorb legacy, or tribal, knowledge. When the process of training is offloaded to available workers, the lack of structure can lead to communication breakdowns, resulting in less knowledge retention, increased safety risks, and a drop in product quality.

Preplanning and appropriately assigning training responsibilities in advance reduces the impact that onboarding has on your day-to-day operations and creates a clear path forward for your team. Consider the following:

·      Who can assume the position of training manager to track trainee progress?

·      What skills are needed to fill the role?

·      How can competency be measured for this skill or process?

·      What is your timeline for the initial stages of training?

·      Once employees prove their aptitude at a particular skill, what resources are available for their continued growth and development?

Having clear answers to these questions can improve employee confidence- both in understanding their roles and planning their career trajectory.

Training Management and Assessment

After the initial onboarding process, maintaining open conversations about the efficacy of training and tracking results aftercompletion is essential. Training leadership should evaluate the following:

·      Are the expectations of the job and standard operating procedures clearly defined and consistent?

·      Are there assessments and checkpoints in place that clearly delineate what success looks like?

·      Have there been improvements in quality, productivity, and safety?

·      Have our employees achieved skill competency faster? Are they more engaged?

·      How can we address common skill gaps and prevent them appearing in future trainees?

Continued Support

For those seeking more assistance with structure and documentation, an online Learning Management System can serve as a convenient hub for standardized professional development when combined with effective training management, team support, and clear metrics for success. Additionally, new AI-assisted organizational and record-keeping tools can enhance your business’s database of standard operating procedures by producing instructive recordings based on your top operators.

With established standard training procedures, you can weather employee turnover with minimal disruption to your daily processes and bottom line. Manufacture Nevada can help your business with strategizing, including identifying technologies and workflow systems that set you up for success. Contact one of our business advisors to learn more.

Content for this article was sourced from IMEC.

‍