In-house training: 5 ideas to make it work

In a previous article, I discussed the reasons why training is important and how organizations might consider providing employee training. In this article, I’ll consider some practical ways to provide in-house training. It must be said that internal training is never expected to replace quality external training, but what it can offer is a degree of personalization and employee involvement that even the best training courses cannot achieve. By encouraging employees to generate knowledge and adding it to their own knowledge, the company or organization can benefit greatly.

Peer training

Peer training is a person who gives a short training session on some part of the technology that the company uses. Since it is informal, the “students” are likely to be more relaxed and learn more. An added benefit is that it does not require large amounts of downtime, a feature that can be tailored for businesses and employees alike. It’s usually just an impromptu training session around a computer. It can also be configured as scheduled training for an agreed period.

Presentations

Like peer training, these are informal sessions. The main difference is that they generally involve much larger groups and it is voluntary. This can range from 5 minutes to an hour. The advantage here is that the presenters will already have some special knowledge of the business and can help spread the knowledge throughout the organization. In addition to spreading information, it is also a way to help people improve their presentation skills. They can be done with PowerPoint or simply with a flip chart and a pen. Some larger organizations also use rotations, but this is not always the best way to do it, as its voluntary nature is what gives it its appeal.

Buddy system

These have been around for a long time and work best with new hires. The advantage of this method is that it can help new hires speed up business. Done correctly, it can also give the “partner” a sense of importance. But like all training, there must be a structure, otherwise neither of you will benefit.

Documentation

A time-honored tradition that many people ignore and that may never end up being written. Instructions on how something works are essential as they negate the excuse that Jane isn’t here so we don’t know how to do it. It doesn’t have to be long and complex. It can be a simple set of instructions like “How to make a good cup of coffee.” If it is presented as the company’s long-awaited “How-to” manual, it will never be written.

Wikis

The advantage of wikis is that you can get them to do whatever you want. They also deal with the exchange of information. This can be positive as, in theory, it can help foster a sense of collaboration. Their structure can also facilitate the task of writing them, since the entries can be very short.

There is no denying that people need training and that using the knowledge within the company can sometimes be much more beneficial than sending people out for a day. The simple reason is that other employees are more likely to learn information that makes their job easier, from someone who already has an idea of ​​what their job in the organization is about. By placing less emphasis on training and training plans and concentrating more on knowledge sharing, employees and employers can begin to see the mutual benefit of training and knowledge sharing.