When You Should Conduct Workplace Training

23 May 2023

Workplace training is a cornerstone of any business. Training must be conducted in order to continually develop employees and give them new skills in the workplace. Not to mention, it must be carried out to introduce changes in the workplace, new products or new policies that come into play. Training is one of the most important things that a business can invest in. Not only does it give employees new skills that they can bring to the workplace, but it has also been proven to boost employee morale and provide more job satisfaction.

There are many factors to keep in mind when designing a training programme and one of the most important is the time that the training is conducted. This may seem like a minor issue, but the time and place that a training programme is conducted have a lot to do with how effective that training ends up being. In this article, you will learn about the different types of training and the different time frames that are most appropriate for each one.

Types of Workplace Training

There are a number of different workplace training types that your business may be undertaking. The type of training plays a part in deciding when exactly to conduct it. The first type of training is likely to be the most common type – specific training. In fact, some form of specific training is probably taking place every day in your business, on a large or small scale. Specific training is usually specifically applied to your workplace and it is usually a practical training. For example, an employee learning how to use a coffee machine or how to fill out a form are both forms of specific training.

When it comes to specific training, it’s usually quite easy to determine the timing. Initial training for new employees usually consists of specific training and must be done right at the beginning of an employee’s job. From there on out, new forms of specific training are usually carried out to accommodate changes in the workplace. This can include new machines or new products being introduced.

The next form of training is generalised training. This type of training is not usually specific to your business itself. Generalised training can be carried out for employees of many different businesses at once and focuses more on general skills that can be applied in any workplace. Things like leadership training and ethics training can be considered generalised training. When it comes to generalised training, it is a bit more difficult to pinpoint the right timing to conduct them. It may seem like these types of training can be put off until there is free time or can be conducted at any time. However, it’s important to use strategy and analytics to pick the right times for generalised training.

Don’t Train Too Late

When it comes to specific training, it’s essential to introduce changes and prepare staff in time. Don’t wait until the day before a new product rolls out to conduct workplace training. As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to begin training a month before a change comes into effect, with more focus two weeks before the change. This way, staff do not feel as though these changes are sprung on them with no opportunity for adaptation. Giving staff the right amount of time to train for changes also minimises the risk of mistakes being made with the new product or machine.

When it comes to generalised training, it may seem difficult to pinpoint a timeline for the training, or any time that would be too early or too late. However, this timeline does exist. Take leadership training, for example. If most of a team is near the beginning of their employment cycle, it doesn’t make sense to invest time into leadership training. The employees may not feel prepared for such training and management may not have a good idea of who would get the most out of such training.

However, if a business waits too long to conduct workplace training, employees may leave the company since they do not feel as though they were given chances to grow. It’s essential to always have some form of generalised training on the horizon. This is a great way to keep staff motivated and give them chances to continue developing within the company.

Don’t Conduct Workplace Training When Staff Cannot Focus

Once you have a general idea about the timelines to follow for your business’ training, it’s also necessary to consider the times when training should not take place. There are many times during business that staff may have a difficult time focusing and the training may end up being totally useless or unabsorbed. During these times of the year, investing in training is usually not worth the effort or time that it would necessitate. During times of big change in the company or busy times of the year like holidays, it’s not a good idea to conduct generalised training. A lot of time will need to be invested in specific training during these periods, so it’s a good idea not to overload staff with new information.

Generalised training should fill in the gaps during times when specific training is not as heavy. This means that staff will feel that they are being continually educated, but not that they are being completely overwhelmed with constant training programmes. Usually, alternating between specific training and generalised training can be a good rule of thumb.

In conclusion, it’s easy to see how time plays a role in the effectiveness of a training programme. Picking the wrong time to conduct your training programme could mean that you don’t get as much staff involvement or that the people who attend simply don’t absorb as much information as they could.

By taking a moment to consider the timing of your training, it will ensure that it is successful. Not to mention, it will be a less stressful endeavour for everyone involved if the timing is right.