As a small business owner, how do you define employee training? Is it word-of-mouth-training where employees are taught how to do their job as they go? Is it an employee handbook that tells them they need to know? Or, do you have a plan that incorporates both options when training employees?
Small businesses often believe that employee training is a waste of time and financial resources. After all, once employees are coached and trained, competitors will poach them. Or, will they?
Studies show that it is far easier to keep talented employees than it is to replace them. Employees want to work for businesses that invest in them by providing learning experiences that expand their knowledge and skills. Employees will be more committed to working for employers that provide training to empower them to do their job.
Consider the following benefits of investing in employee training vs. the loss businesses experience when not coaching and teaching workers.
Commitment
Benefit – When a company invests in training and coaching its employees, workers feel respected and appreciated. They are more willing to invest their time, energy and ideas in 
helping the company succeed. Employee engagement grows as they become committed to the business.
Loss – If a company doesn’t invest in developing its employees, the workers believe they don’t matter. Why should they commit to the company when the business leaders aren’t willing to teach, coach and develop them into successful team members? Employees quickly decide not to stick around.
Encouragement
Benefit – If employees have a solid training base, employers can customize learning experiences for specific employee positions to tease out their curiosity to explore new areas and develop new skills. Employees feel encouraged and their satisfaction with the business and their job increases. And when business leaders ask workers for ideas to improve the company and its products, they get excited about the difference they can make.
Loss – When new employees receive no, or limited, training, they don’t have an opportunity to build a connection with the business owner or manager. No one on the management team gets to know the new workers, so relationships are tied to job tasks or projects. Any praise or thanks is based upon the completed work, vs. their talents and strengths that they share with the company. Employees don’t feel valued and start looking for a different job.
Motivation
Benefit – When employees receive the proper knowledge and skills to do their job, they can 
take off and turn out excellent work for the company. Their work catches the attention of the business leaders, and employees are rewarded through words of praise and sometimes with monetary compensation. These actions turn on the lights in employees’ eyes. Workers are motivated to work harder, do better, and pursue new projects for the company.
Loss – Employees who don’t receive proper training, may think their work isn’t important. In time, the quality of their performance dwindles, and they lose motivation to come to work every day. They develop a poor attitude, which is conveyed through their encounters with customers and co-workers.
Follow up and reinforcement
Benefit – Small businesses with a training strategy ensure that all new team members in all
locations receive the same information. It’s easier for the managers or owners to follow up with employees to reinforce their foundation of knowledge, and to provide product and business updates to build on the base learning that all employees possess.
Loss – When employees are dumped with information through word of mouth, a handbook, or by following another employee around the business, it’s difficult to determine what new workers do and don’t know. It’s difficult for business leaders to follow up with employees and reinforce the mission and teach employees new skills and knowledge when the learning foundation isn’t known. And all too often, assumptions are made about what new associate knows, and only when makes are made with customer accounts, it’s apparent what employees don’t know. Employee morale falls, and customers find other business partners.
Simplify employee training
Employee training doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. With an online training 
software, such as Traineaze, it’s easy to set up training modules using PowerPoint, video, audio, photos, and charts. An online training system also makes it simple for employers to provide new details about products, markets, customers, and business growth opportunities. Employees at all levels and locations have access to the same information, so teamwork is seamless.
Employee training can make a difference in your business Review these tips on how to find the right online training software that fits your needs.
