As new software, procedures, and techniques are implemented in your organisation, have you considered how you will share this knowledge with new staff members in the future? Developing a training program for new employees is crucial so that they will eventually learn all the things that your current staff members already know.
Why Developing a Training Program for New Employees is Important
Induction is the process of introducing new employees to their roles in your organisation. As part of that, they will require a training program that orients them in the workplace, teaches them about the corporate culture, and trains them to do their job effectively.
Without a training program, new staff often flounder in their position. Learning about an organisation without guidance can be an insurmountable task for some, ultimately resulting in high staff turnover.
Replacing staff (especially new ones you just recruited) is far more expensive than investing in developing a training program for new employees. Plus, with a training program to serve as a guide for managers, inducting a new staff member will be easier than ever.
What a Training Program for New Employees Should Include
When developing a training program for new employees, make sure you include the following:
A Solid Structure
For an employee to effectively engage with a training program, they will need an outline of what will happen and when. For example, in week 1 you’ll introduce them to management, their team and what their department does. In week 2, they will begin learning about the rest of the organisation and so on.
Organisational Culture and Values
Hopefully, you have spent time co-creating a strong and healthy organisational culture. If you have, it’s vital that you share this and the underlying values with new staff. This sets expectations for how they should behave in the workplace and helps to continue fostering a positive workplace culture.
Processes and Procedures
It's likely that your organisation has a number of processes or operating procedures that employees are required to follow. It is vital to ensure that these are well documented, up to date and readily available. New starters are often overwhelmed with information and can't be expected to remember everything.
How to Use Software
Many employees are required to use software as part of their jobs. Do you have robust training on how to use all of the software that each new staff member will need to perform their day to day tasks? If not, you need to develop some training that any incoming employees can access.
How to Develop a Training Program for New Employees
Consider What New Employees Need to Know and When
As part of the broader induction process, staff need to learn about your health and safety procedures, staff benefits, IT setup, and more.
Begin by thinking about
a. What employees need to know
b. When they need to learn each section
For example, they will need to know their computer and email password before logging in and starting to do any work. You may also need to complete a health and safety induction as soon as they arrive on the premises.
Once you know what the staff need to learn and when, you can start creating an outline for your training program.
Determine the Format
When people think about training, they often jump to in-person training sessions with an instructor. However, there are many methods of training delivery to choose from.
eLearning, such as online courses and videos, is an excellent option for new employee training programs because it can be accessed anytime a new staff member starts. They will also be able to revisit the training whenever they need a refresh. Training staff will no longer take huge amounts of your time - you can just send them the link to the eLearning materials to go and educate themselves.
Running in-person training sessions instead can get complicated. Often, new staff have to wait until there are enough other new recruits to run the training program. In these situations, it can take months before an employee learns all the things they need to know to do their job well.
Create Training
Now that you know what should be taught and how you’re going to teach it, you can begin to design the training. However, many organisations don’t have instructional designers or eLearning experts to develop training programs for them. If you’d like to create a robust new employee training program but don’t know where to start, contact Follow My Lead.
We specialise in digital training solutions such as video tutorials and eLearning courses and would love to help you create engaging training for your new staff!