Your employees are your company’s best asset. Regardless of your industry, products, or services, without a staff of talented workers, your company is unlikely to reach its full potential. But once you’ve snagged the top talent in the industry, how can you ensure their long-term retention?

Employee turnover can certainly break your budget, but by employing effective training methods, you have the chance of keeping your employees for the long haul. And employee training processes shouldn’t just take place during onboarding. Your staff should be involved in a variety of ongoing training processes throughout their time as employees. Happy, informed, and engaged employees are all well-trained — can you say the same for your staff?

7 Tips for Better Employee Training

Implementing better employee training tactics will give your company a chance at higher levels of employee retention. Consider the following tips for improving your company’s employee training processes:

1. Set the tone. Successful employee training starts from day one. Your company should focus on creating a learning-centric environment. A workplace environment with a positive focus on learning will not only give employees the confidence to learn in their new position, but also allow them to seek out ways to grow throughout their time on staff. Foster continued learning through a company-wide interest expressed at all levels, open chains of communication, and access to training resources and materials.

2. Train on the company mission, values, and goals. Employee training shouldn’t just be based on acquiring specific knowledge for a position. Your workers need to be be provided with the proper training for their position and for success within the company. Focus training efforts on building an understanding the company mission, organizational culture, values, and goals. Through this specific training, employees will garner a greater understanding, interest, and respect for company culture, allowing them to better utilize it on a day-to-day basis.

3. Cross-train for mobility. If you’re looking to transform your employees into even greater assets, cross-training is necessary. This will give your employees a chance to grow their skill sets, participate in a wider array of job functions, and even foster greater personal growth. Cross-trained employees can move seamlessly throughout your company as they assist where they’re need. Not to mention, your cross-trained staff is more likely to be engaged in their work due to the variety of daily tasks they will have access to.

4. Utilize mentors for continued training. Regardless of tenure, all of your employees can benefit from a mentor. Some of the best learning experiences happen through acquiring guidance and knowledge from someone with more experience. Whether they’re partaking in the onboarding process or they’ve been with you for five years, pairing your employees with a more experienced confidant can provide them with an unmatched form of guidance and learning. Consider creating a company-wide initiative for mentoring, which takes place both inside and outside of the office.

5. Set goals for company-wide success. Employee training goals should go beyond simply reading a training packet and filling out a questionnaire. Better company-wide training comes from more effective goal setting. Set individual training goals for each employee, as well was departmental goals, and even company-wide goals for training. It’s also important to establish an effective measurement for training. This will provide a greater understanding of what is and isn’t working for certain employees, departments, and the entire company.

6. Training doesn’t have to be a drag. Learning is much easier when you’re having a good time doing it. Provide your employees with a fun and engaging experience during training. If you’re looking to increase the motivation and engagement levels of your staff, seek out new ways to make training enjoyable. There are many onboarding and employee training programs with a focus on fun through gamification and social aspects.

7. Develop a system of recognition. While training may be mandatory, it’s still important to show your employees you care about their growth. Developing a system of recognition will provide your employees with a unique incentive for learning. Set a company-wide standard for the way you reward employee throughout their training processes. Consider making these rewards as unique as your company — they might even be of monetary value.

With a focus on training to retain within your company, your employees will be more likely to extend their stay. Remember, it all starts with fostering a positive learning environment and giving your employees access to the necessary resources for growth.

How do you retain?

What’s your company’s secret to retaining great employees?