Employee training takes various forms. In total, the types of employee training are online training, on-site training, onboarding training, ongoing training — it’s usually a combination of these types that make up a company’s training model.
Types of training methods for employees include:
Online training (eLearning) – Online learning has come a long way since SCORM was the standard. Now, lessons and courses can be more easily created and delivered without having to attend in-person sessions. Lessonly is a prime example of a modern eLearning platform helping employees learn at their best pace in their best environment.
On-site training – This is pretty self-explanatory. On-site training generally consists of training that occurs at the headquarters of a company. Or, rather, training representatives travel to different locations to train employees. Types of on-the-job training can vary in accordance to certain roles. For instance, with customer service and sales teams, both may practice role-playing whereas sales representatives are going to work on honing presentation skills and customer service reps may focus on phone communication. Off-the-job training methods can take forms of quizzing, performance reviews, and online learning courses. Online learning usually plays a part in on-site training; Lessonly enables managers to incorporate creative and informative content along with assessing learner progress.
Onboarding training – Onboarding training takes place when employees are hired. Onboarding training can be the most intense time period for learning in a company. Employee role information has to be learned as well as cultural information like company values and beliefs. This can be a lot of information to learn, and frankly, assuming that an employee can retain all information before performing in a role is unrealistic. This is where on-going training plays in.
Ongoing training – What does continuous training improve? Ongoing training, or continuous training, reinforces information. This type of training is necessary within the first year of an employee’s role. Furthermore, it helps new and established employees remain on the same page. If processes or standards change, then a training session can be held to update all employees. With Lessonly, you can simply update a lesson and redistribute it to the entire company.
The difference between training and development
The difference between training and development becomes apparent after an employee begins performing their role with ease. From there, employees can progress and innovate within their role or prepare for a promotional position—therefore developing their role and skill sets. Though separate, training and developing employees acts cohesively to grow a company.
The advantages and disadvantages of training and development really depend on the size of a company. As a company grows, messages can become lost in the flow of processes. In order for employee training and development to run smoothly, a company, no matter its size, must have a detailed employee training plan in place. The training and development process can differentiate between industry and roles, but there’s no other field as familiar with its workings like human resources management. The methods of training and development in HRM can have a long-lasting impact on the way learning works throughout a company.