Nowadays, it’s no longer enough for young professionals to have just decent salaries alone. These professionals need to know that they’ll have equal opportunities to grow and advance their careers within the workplace. And they won’t stand to be subjected to a toxic work environment.
This means that employers need to work twice as hard as before to show potential employees that their welfare and development are of utmost importance to the company as well. The young professionals know what they want and what they shouldn’t be experiencing, especially since they won’t hesitate to leave when the conditions are unfavorable to them.
So, if you’re determined to focus on the training and development of all your employees, then here are five effective methods that you can try:
1. Coaching
Most new employees need a hands-on guide that can introduce them to the workplace culture and settle into their roles during the first few weeks or months. This would be the perfect time to match them with a coach — a senior colleague who can pass on their skills and learning in the job position.
Coaching can be a great way to streamline the employee’s adjustment period and learn valuable lessons in a short duration. And since the employee in the new role has someone on their team to depend on for guidance, they won’t have to feel like they’re finding their way in the dark, which can be very helpful.
2. On-the-job Training
In Singapore, there are work and study programs that employees can apply for to work full-time while getting the education they need through certified diploma courses. This way, they can continue upskilling themselves and advancing their careers without sacrificing their ability to earn a stable income.
Through such programs, the employees will be able to bridge the gap between theory and practice because they can apply what they learn in their classes into their work experience. On-the-job training is easily one of the best methods to develop the skills and competencies of employees in the workplace, even if they’re new to the industry.
Employees will also be able to slide into their new roles and functions by shadowing someone who has already learned the ropes. However, shadowing means there won’t be any formal training involved because the employees will learn directly from their assigned mentor or direct superior.
3. eLearning
There are plenty of online learning platforms that offer thousands of free courses to their users nowadays. You can use these eLearning platforms to encourage your employees to increase their skill sets, expand their knowledge, and learn new techniques that are relevant to your line of work.
And the best part about eLearning is that everything can be done online. As long as your employees have access to an internet connection, they can learn on their own time and through whatever mobile device they prefer, which means it won’t take up physical environments nor affect office hours.
However, it should be noted that not all courses on these online learning platforms are free. Some courses that offer more in-depth and advanced training will come at a cost that may be considered expensive for your employees. That’s why if you can, you should consider shouldering the costs of the courses so that all your employees can have equal access to the learning opportunities.
4. Conferences and Seminars
Attending conferences and seminars about topics relevant to your industry can help your employees grow outside of the workplace. This is because they’ll be exposed to a wider group of like-minded people, ones that can offer them interdisciplinary views and approaches that they have yet to consider.
These conferences and seminars can also be great avenues for your employees to expand their networks. This means that they will not only be sharing the room with some of the best minds in the industry but will also have the opportunity to collaborate and mingle with them during socialization.
5. Job Rotations
If you want to have well-rounded employees who are equipped to function in multiple roles, what you can do is put them through job rotations. This method is aimed to increase the existing skill sets of your employees and allow them to perform new tasks that can expand their abilities even further.
Of course, there should be ample time to learn the ropes of a new role and apply what they learned in practice before being rotated to another role. The biggest downside to this is that employees who are put in a role that they aren’t interested in might be demotivated to perform well, but that’s not always the case.
Keep in mind that every employee learns and adapts differently. This means that you can’t just use one method and expect everyone to grow immediately. Training and developing the skills of your employees take time, but all your efforts to provide growth opportunities in the workplace will be well worth it in the end.