How to Make Employees Excited About Training

by Dr. R. Kay Green

You probably understand the value of training. Perhaps your employees even understand the value as well. But understanding the value of something is not the same as being excited about it. You can see the value of, say, mopping your floor, but that does not necessarily mean that you are excited to do it.

And this becomes a problem when it comes to training. Because if your employees are viewing these classes as an obligation or a chore, they’re already at least partially “checked out.” They are not paying a lot of attention, which means that they are not getting the most out of the class. This, in turn, means that you are not getting the return on investment that you put into the class.

So, how can you create a culture of excitement and engagement around training?

Offer incentives.

Incentives are a great way to get employees engaged in business in general, and training is no different. It is much easier to get excited about something if you know that there is a reward at the end, and it can be as simple of an investment as a small gift card.

Incentives make employees excited to participate, but it also shows that you are taking their work seriously. You recognize the effort that they are putting into becoming better at their jobs, and they will appreciate that, in turn working even harder.

Make it a competition.

People like a little friendly competition. They like to earn “points,” and see how they rank against their peers. You can easily use this to your advantage when you offer training. Offer prizes to people with the best grades, or people who complete a certain number of classes. Or, if your company’s culture allows it, create a “leaderboard” for employees to track their own and each other’s progress.

This is a great way to engage employees, giving them a tangible way to track how far they have come. It will also make classes feel less like a chore and more like a game for them to “beat.” This will make it far more enjoyable for them, which will make them pay attention more.

Spread things out.

Do not put classes back to back. You run the risk of your employee burning out if you do this; in addition, they will start to resent all of the extra time spent on classes when they could be doing other things. Instead, spread your classes out so that they only have to take a few classes at a time.

This will help to make sure that employees do not feel stifled or overwhelmed by classes. It also shows respect for your employees’ time. It shows that you do understand their need for downtime and that you do not expect them to sacrifice their free time for an extended period.

Make courses online.

In-person classes are often inconvenient. They require a commute, a shuffling of obligations, and frequently they require babysitting for those employees with families. All of this can make your employee resent the class before they even walk in the door, which is not conducive at all to an excited, engaged classroom.

This is why more and more businesses are turning to e-learning solutions.

Online courses allow employees to take their education into their own hands. By allowing them to pick the time and place where the class occurs, it gives them a sense of ownership. This is probably the best thing you can do to make sure that employees are excited and engaged.