The business world changes almost daily. With increasing customer demand, many organizations struggle to keep up with production, customer service, technical support, billing, and more. With little if any time to provide employees with training, a lot of businesses have turned to technology. Although new software and hardware programs help, the fact is they often serve as more as a babysitter than actually teaching workers to become proficient in their jobs.
Although state-of-the-art technology will always play a vital role in virtually every business, training is just as critical, if not more so. If you own a company, it is essential that you recognize the value of in-person and online training, not just for your current employees, but also for contractors and new hires. You will find that quality training improves the overall operations of your business.
No Replacement
Even with increasing automation and artificial intelligence, technology will and should never replace training. With online education readily available and affordably priced, there is no reason not to provide your employees with what they need to succeed. However, along with that, it is crucial that you offer in-person training as well. As former US President Barack Obama once said, “If there is no offline interaction, mere online engagement is probably going to be a failure.”
Key Benefits
- Critical thinking is a significant part of training. Along with gaining knowledge, your employees will learn how to better understand strategies, communications, processes, and more. When you provide an in-person training program, the instructors can carefully observe the body language and facial expressions of your employees. With that, they have the opportunity to fine-tune their teaching methods to garner more interest and interaction.
- In-person training also makes it possible for instructors and employees to have open and honest conversations. If someone does not understand a specific point, that person can sit down one-on-one with the teacher to get a better handle on the topic. Technology simply cannot beat hands-on experience.
- As part of your in-person training courses, the instructors can teach your employees soft skills. In comparison, technology teaches hard skills. That means that things like creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence, all intangible skills, come from in-person training as opposed to technology. At that same time, your instructors can teach skills that people should use every day on the job like respect, compassion, generosity, and so on.
- While many online training courses do a great job of educating people, even they cannot always replace in-person training. The instructors at your business have the ability to convert information into knowledge that your workers can apply to their jobs. In addition to becoming more efficient, this prepares them to advance in their careers.
- Something else to consider about in-person training is that it is engaging, whereas technology is not. Sure, some computer programs are fun and interesting to use, but they will never offer the same human interaction that makes in-person training so vital.
Course Flexibility
As a business owner, you need to think outside the box when it comes to employee education. Yes, automation and artificial intelligence have a role to play, and an important one at that. However, both in-person and online training are also critical components of your company’s success. With everything combined, the sky is the limit for your business.
Improved Employee Morale
Keep in mind that trained workers have more sense of pride in their performance. For that reason, they tend to work harder and achieve better results. In exchange for that, your customers will receive enhanced service and support, which increases their satisfaction in doing business with your company. Ultimately, your business experiences growth from both a size and financial perspective.
What it comes down to is this: There is no technology in existence, nor will there ever be, that can replace the value that in-person trainers and online training courses provide. No matter the size of your company, its industry, or the number of employees you have, you should create a training program for them, you, and your business.
Just make sure that you offer training sessions that cover the right topics and that your workers find enjoyable to attend. You want instructors who make education fun yet informative. The goal is to empower the people who work for you so they can be more efficient and productive in their respective roles.
