Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employees are valuing career development more than ever—it’s a sign that the company is willing to invest in their future. How are businesses approaching training today? What are their pain points, and what topics are being addressed in training?
High turnover is a cost most employers seek to avoid. Yet, societal norms have changed such that it’s quite normal for individuals to change jobs every few years. An unhappy employee is more likely to move on, of course, so employers have incentive to do what they can to increase retention levels—reducing their own costs […]
The technology website Geek Wire published advice from ergonomics writer Larry Swanson, author of Scared Sitless, the Office Fitness Book. In the past few years, tablets and smartphones have made huge inroads in workplaces of all types. According to Swanson, the compact size and portability of the devices make work and life better in […]
If your handouts are “throwaways,” you’re doing something wrong. Presentation expert Marie Wallace says, “Too many presenters treat handouts like an afterthought, justifying their action with ‘They will just get trashed anyway.’ That kind of thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When handouts are not designed well, they do get trashed.” When done correctly, however, […]
Did you know that many organizations are opting to create training programs for employees that are more personalized rather than generic or role-based? These training plans take into account not only the role the individual is training for but also the individual’s future goals and any gaps in that person’s skill set.
It’s been estimated that: Less than half the skills and information learned in training will be transferred to the job immediately after the training session unless trainers follow up on trainee performance. Within 6 months, as much as three-quarters of training can be lost without follow-up. After 1 year, some employees will retain as […]
Ongoing training about job descriptions is “essential, since no job remains exactly the same from year to year,” say Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, business, marketing, and corporate training experts and coauthors of The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways to Engage and Empower Your People. In fact, since “job descriptions are typically out of date […]
The most effective safety training method has long been a subject of debate. Is classroom training best? On-the-job learning? Computer-based training? A new white paper from the American Red Cross makes the case for a blended approach that combines online scenario-based simulation learning with in-person classroom training. This blended approach is represented in a […]
If you get feedback that tells you that your training is boring, you’ve got a problem. Let’s face it: It’s easy to fall into the same monotonous pattern of giving the same training over and over. But if your training is boring it’s not going to be effective. Here are some easy tweaks to […]
If you had to rate yourself as a trainer, you’d probably give yourself high marks, right? But would your trainees agree with your score? Quality, productivity, safety, and innovation in your organization really depend a great deal on the effectiveness of your training. And, if you are the trainer, you need to be good […]
Can competition among employees serve as a motivator of performance? This is quite a conundrum, because there are arguments on both sides of the coin. Perhaps you’ve just read an article saying that competition is a brilliant way to encourage employees to a higher level of performance by stimulating their competitive spirit. That article may […]