Create a training program that will deliver value for your business and employees for years to come.

Many company leaders fail to fully understand employee training and how it can be an evergreen business activity. Most training programs quickly become outdated; however, organizations can craft a program that stays interesting and useful for employees for years to come.
If you do not train your employees effectively, 40% will abandon their positions within the first year. Year after year, employees from various generations say that job-related training greatly influences their decision to stay in their current position.
Here's how you make it happen:


1. Assess the message you're transmitting:

Take a step back and examine the bigger picture. You need to come up with answers to the following questions:
• Who are you speaking to?
• What information do you want to convey?
• When will milestones take place?
• When will employees have future training?
• Where can employees go to have their questions answered?
• Why does this training matter to the employees and the business?
Answering these six questions may seem silly, but it's a really good way to begin.


2. Consider the psychology of adult learning:

 adults like to learn new concepts by seeing how they relate to things they already know. Since they have years of experience, they know many academic and social things. Teaching them something that seems completely new may seem scary or threatening. Humans don't like things that are foreign or unknown. We are slow to accept new things. Make sure your trainings relate to their life experiences to avoid frustration and improve chances of success.
As you create your program or evaluate prepackaged learning solutions, make sure they meet the criteria above. Training needs to be specific to clearly explain what will be taught. It also needs to convey information clearly. A good program has internal and external measurements built into its foundation.


3. Put pen to paper:

At this step in the process, you should already have some ideas and concepts on paper.
There are lots of available programs that can aid you in your training program creation. 


4. Test, test, test:

After employees interact with your materials, ask them about their initial impressions. See what they liked and didn't like. Create quizzes that your employees can take so you can gauge how much information from your training they gained, retained and can use.


5.Dive in head first !

You can spend hours more researching and looking up information on how to start an employee training program, but why would you? Knowledge is power, but too much information can be crippling.


Original Article Source: Business.com - Writer: Nathan Resnick