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Management

The New Way Progressive Companies Are Training Employees

progressive companies to switch to ongoing, on-the-job, on-demand methods for training employees.
The New Way Progressive Companies Are Training Employees - Lioness Magazine
Amy Fox

Companies spend tens of billions of dollars globally each year to train employees, but that money often is wasted because “the training is not geared to drive business results,” a survey by Boston Consulting Group found. Amy Fox, CEO and founder of Accelerated Business Results, a leader in innovative business learning solutions and consultant to Fortune 500 companies, shares how to transform costly, time-consuming training programs into an immersive, continuous learning approach.

Blueprint to Transform Costly, Ineffective Training

Millennials last year surpassed Gen X as the largest cohort of the U.S. labor force. In this changing, modernized workforce, employees want more learning opportunities and feedback.

This is driving progressive companies to switch to ongoing, on-the-job, on-demand methods for training employees. Microlearning ­– delivering training content in a bite-sized, on-demand format – is one way companies are getting more out of their training dollars. It includes everything from simple methods such as directing employees to research topics online and report what they discover, to customized digital libraries that give leaders and employees on-demand access to a constantly evolving set of topics.

Here are some pointers from Fox for building more agile, effective and efficient employee training:

  • Offer Flexible Options: Give learners specific skill-building content they can use in a moment of need via social media or other online tools.
  • Provide Opportunities for Shorter and Longer Learning: These can range from a 30-second video available on their phones focusing on a specific job challenge, to in-depth e-learning courses and one-on-one coaching.
  • Make It Practical and Interactive: Effective training shows employees the connection between what they are being asked to do and why. It should connect them with specific skills and information they need to do their jobs, and give them opportunities to learn, practice and get feedback.
  • Make It Social, and Fun: Including a social element that involves community sharing and learning, and perhaps gaming elements, will intrigue learners to return frequently.

Amy Fox is President, CEO and founder of Accelerated Business Results, a leader in innovative business learning solutions, and a consultant to Fortune 500 companies on training and sales performance strategies. Amy and her team are driven to meet the diverse training needs of today’s organizations, from increased sales performance and product knowledge to leadership, communication and coaching skills.

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