Sunday, June 7, 2015

TRAINING TODAY'S WORKFORCE

It should come as no secret that we have the most diverse workforce today than we have ever had. Think about the different generations,

--Traditionalists
--Baby Boomers
--X Generation
--Y Generation
--Z Generation

That group then is made up of Commanders, Stars, Diplomats, and Scholars. This complicates the issue even more.Then, combine that with the different cultures we have from other countries working for us everyday.

So, how are you training your staff? ARE YOU TRAINING YOUR STAFF?

It is a known fact that effective training will lead to,

--Reduced turnover
--Retention of existing customers
--Getting more new customers
--A safer working environment
--Lower labor costs
--Lower material costs
--Reduced equipment repair and replacement

If you are still training like in the "olden" days you may not be hitting the mark. Let's list some of the ways we can train in today's more modern world.

In house produced videos
Short training videos on youtube
MP3--3 minute instructional lessons
Ipad for short reviews and refresher courses
Send videos to cell phones for their review
Weekly pod casts
Timekeeping call in reminders
Webinars
Inexpensive DVDs and CDs
Gotomeeting.com
Texting
Your company web site

Each of these is a topic all its own but the purpose here is to get you thinking of creative ways you can reach today's workforce in a  way that is effective. If I detail each one here you will never finish reading the blog.

You see, having everyone come into a meeting room for a boring lecture of do's and don'ts and thou shalt and thou shalt not will, more than likely, do a great job---of putting them to sleep. 

With today's technology it is easy and convenient to take the training to the field to review different procedures. Having problems with an employee cleaning a restroom to quality standards? Take a video to them in the field and do training on an ipad or smartphone. It works. Manufactures and distributors can help develop this process.

Before anyone gets the idea that I am suggesting that the orientation and training procedure of new employees need not be done so it can be done in the field, I want to squash that idea. The orientation and initial training BEFORE they go to the field is critical to their (and your) long term success.  

Training is an ongoing process. Doing it with the variety of tools available today helps improve the learning process of the multitude of generations and cultures you have in your workforce. 

In future blogs we will attempt to go into further detail on effective use of these technological methods. In the meantime, start developing a comprehensive way your company can utilize these tools.

Hope you are watching our weekly free pod casts at www.kleancast.com. They are non commercial, to the point, concise subjects that pertain to our industry. 

Till next time.

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