A common complaint about employee training is that it’s boring and irrelevant. Research shows that employees are strongly interested in coaching and training, but they want the information to be short, appealing and fit their job. Review the following tips to improve employee training
for your small business.
Make it relevant
We’ve all sat in a training session and listened to information that doesn’t fit our work. It’s a struggle to keep focused and awake.
It’s possible to customize learning experiences to specific employee needs with the right online training software system. Many small businesses use the Traineaze software system because it’s easy to set up so they can make training modules to fit specific employee responsibilities.
Start by organizing content into training topics. Some employees may have overlapping tasks but have different jobs. Create a module with the common tasks and then simply edit it to include other specific duties for each job. You’ll end up with several different training modules, each relevant to an area of responsibility.
Use microlearning techniques to focus training on one specific topic with modules less than 10 minutes long. As you prepare the modules, think about all the details that employees need to know for each specific task. Recall stories about employee experiences to weave into the content. Look for pictures, video clips and other resources that relate to the topic to make it interesting. Another idea is to ask senior employees to record stories that you can incorporate into the training.
Make it appealing with PowerPoint
Once all the training information is gathered, it’s time to combine into a PowerPoint presentation. Here are some suggestions for making an excellent interest:
Customize the presentation - Don’t let PowerPoint dictate how you develop the training materials by using only the software’s default settings. Design training materials that fit your business image with your fonts and colors. Read more tips on how to use PowerPoint to make better employee training materials modules.
Consider suggestions for fonts and wording:
• Use a sans-serif font (plain letters without curls or edges). Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, can be difficult to read.
• Use the same font for all headlines.
• Select a different font for copy points, no smaller than 24 point.
• To emphasize points, use a boldface style, capitalize words or put words in color. Don’t use italics or put words in all caps as these styles are difficult to read.
• Limit punctuation marks.
• Avoid long sentences. Using only 6 to 8 words per line.
• Use dark text on a light background to make the copy easy to read.
• Use colors that contrast and complement.
• Use only two or three colors for wording.
• Keep sentences short.
• Think microlearning. Focus on one topic, providing the essential information for complete understanding.
• Use a background color that doesn’t distract; use the same color throughout.
• Select only 1 or 2 images per slide that are the same size and fit the topic vs. a mix of small photos
• Use plenty of white space around the images. (For additional tips on photos, read this blog.)
• Align images, so they look authentic but polished.
• Use the same border size and type throughout.
• When designing a chart, use only four colors. Any more and the information will blend together.
• Use PowerPoint’s shapes and format menus to make fine adjustments to the material.
Download and review training modules
Once the training modules are completed, upload the PowerPoint into the online training software. Check spelling and punctuation. Before sharing the modules with employees, ask senior-level employees or managers to review the content to ensure all the key information is included and flows sequentially. If you’re working with Traineaze and experience any problems, it’s easy to contact customer support for assistance.
