Employee training performed by many retailers is typically
insufficient and ineffective. With the elimination of most retail training
departments, only limited training staff exist in many retail organizations, if
any, and these people are tasked with the daunting challenge of training masses
of employees - as best they can. The training approach typically employed today
is self-directed E-Training with limited or no follow-up by management.
The bad news is that most training
does not stick. Researchers estimate that only about 25% of the skills taught
to employees are in use just six months after the completion of training. And
after one year, only 10% to 15% of the skills taught contribute some benefit to
the organization.
The reasons that training fails to
change employee behavior
Common reasons that employees do nothing different after being trained include:
Common reasons that employees do nothing different after being trained include:
1)
Inefficient training methods are
used
2)
Employees do not practice the new
skills learned
3)
Employees return to work in the same
environment and
4)
Employees fall back on old habits
because it’s easier
To address this challenge, five time-tested
steps that have helped retailers make training more effective and change employee
behavior follow:
- Ask the employee to present the “training highlights”
they learned.
Within two days of returning from a training event, the employee should recap the skills taught and report what, if any, ideas they want to implement. This can be done one-on-one with the supervisor/manager or in a group setting with the manager and their peers. - Get buy-in from all of the employees.
Ask everyone for input as to how to make the new idea part of the process and daily routine. - Assign the responsibility for training the other
employees to the employee who attended the training.
Provide the tools and set the stage for success by ensuring that everyone understands both the importance of the new process and the benefits to implementing it. Observe the training and provide feedback as necessary. - Practice, practice, practice!
Once all the employees are trained, work with them one-on-one to let them demonstrate their new skills through role plays. Practice should be on-going to keep the new process “alive”. Also talk about it daily by conducting short meetings to discuss progress. - Become a better coach!
Hold the employees accountable by observing them in action and providing feedback. This alone will have a huge impact on the environment in your operations departments by demonstrating that you, as the manager, are involved and care about the employees. Everyone appreciates recognition for their efforts!
“The highest retention percentage is
a result of practicing by doing, teaching others and immediate application of
learning in a real situation.”
Positive reinforcement is the key to
keeping changes in place and getting employees to actually change their
behavior. There are many challenges facing Retail
Managers. Find the time to coach your associates toward changing their on-the-job
behavior. Utilize the suggested coaching technique.
