Professional Development
Leslie Carver 
Many organizations train new employees so they can do well in the positions they were hired for. However, training often stops there.
We’re putting urgent needs before important needs. While urgent issues must be addressed, we can’t operate our businesses in a state of urgency. We need to carve out time to focus on the important tasks that will give our businesses a strong foundation to support our future success.
New Hires
No one questions the need to train new employees. Even if employees have worked in similar roles before, they need to be trained on company products, software and have a good understanding of internal processes. We understand that their knowledge and behavior are a reflection of the company they work for.
When was the last time you reviewed your new hire training? Is it still effective? Have you followed up with your employees to ask for feedback and suggestions for improvements? Do you have a system in place to confirm they are retaining what you taught? Remember that new employees absorb so much information in such a short period of time. It may be helpful to break the training up to cover parts of the job so it can be applied before adding something new.
Seasoned Employees
It’s also important that your training program extends beyond your new employees. When was the last time you looked at the opportunities your seasoned employees have for professional growth? Training can improve current performance and encourage employees to achieve other professional goals.
If your training program needs improvement or doesn’t even exist yet, you should start by reviewing the goals of your organization. Does your team have what it takes to achieve them? If you have any doubt, start training where you notice some gaps. For example, sales goals can be difficult to reach if very few people have received targeted training in this area. You may find that everyone, including your leadership team, could benefit from some updated training on soft skills. Training that focuses on communication, teamwork or time management is a great place to start.
There is always something new to learn and we all have room to grow. When you sit back and assume that everyone else is on the same page that you are, you’re setting yourself up for disaster. You could lose a customer overnight that took you've had for years. You could even lose a valuable employee to a competitor. The smaller your business is, the more damaging those hits could be.
Rather than focusing on negative possibilities and making decisions out of fear, let’s focus on the positive benefits from having a training program. There are so many! Work will be more consistent and employees will be more confident. You'll improve your relationships with your employees and have better communication. You’ll see better performance, positive employee morale, and less turnover. As your business grows, employees will have the skills and experience you’re looking for so you can promote them to leadership positions. Finally, strong employers that invest in their employees impact more than just the company. Employees share their knowledge and experiences with their families and their communities. The world is a better place because of you!