Speaker 1: Research shows that companies that invest in training have a 24% higher profit margin. Don't leave that opportunity on the table. Hello world, welcome back. My name is Mike Ploeger and I'm here with VizMe. But before we begin, we need to celebrate. This is our 100th video. Since 2019, we've brought you videos to help you with data visualization, marketing techniques, social media tips, visual design, and everything in between. At the time of this recording, we have more than 8.5 million views in this series. I know you're here to learn more with us today, but from everyone at VizMe, thank you for being a part of this journey and growing with us. We cannot wait to see what's in store moving forward. In the immediate future, let's talk about training programs. A strong employee training program will allow you to strategize how you'll improve employee retention, team development, and revenue all in one. Throughout this video, we'll reiterate why they're important, share different types of plans and templates, and share what you should include. Employee retention is one of the leading reasons that you want an effective training plan in place. Research again shows that inadequate employee training leads to 40% of resignations. Onboarding is the first impression an employee has with a new company, and it's a crucial experience that fosters company talent and keeps employees, happy. It'll allow them to settle in quickly and learn the ins and outs of that company. Now, just because someone has experience in a given field, doesn't mean that they understand the goals and needs of that company. An onboarding training plan will set expectations and prevent knowledge gaps. Another type of training plan is one for product knowledge. This is especially common in the tech industry as companies introduce new products for sale. Getting employees to understand the product, to sell it, market it, or even just use it can be difficult. But a training plan that looks like this would be an excellent tool. Similar to new hires and onboarding is succession planning. This is for significant company roles that have new faces. You'll want feedback from those who have served in the position previously, as well as industry standards and skills that are expected. Improving work performance is another reason to build a training plan in the first place. Endorsing training that can lead to better work performance is another reason to build a training plan in the first place. Endorsing training that can lead to better work performance is another reason to build a training plan in the first place. Change and growth in the future will lead to improved performance and independence. Over the next few minutes, I'll share the topics you want to include in your training programs. If you haven't noticed already, you'll see some templates that are available to edit within Visme's platform right now. If you'd like to check them out, just go to visme.com. But let's see what we're working with here first. The single most important aspect of a training program is the ability to work with your team. The second most important aspect of a training program is the ability to work with your team. What's the purpose of going through the program? What tools, methods, and assessments should the trainee expect? If you don't disclose this up front, the training can be disjointed, inconsistent, and difficult to measure. Pro tip. Use the acronym SMART to determine your goals. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. By following this acronym, your program will be much more intentional and prepared. The second section that you'll want to include is the training methods and materials that you want to implement. They should be engaging and informational. And don't make the program difficult to understand. Use visuals like video, images, and data visualizations. Templates like this one do a wonderful job of utilizing color, icons, and images to highlight what a trainee should expect. And then how do you determine a training method? A lot of that depends on the resources you have available. It's also dependent on your goals, but let's take a look at a few. Case studies use real-life examples and simulated scenarios to teach employees how to handle daily tasks or even tricky situations. E-learning, which VizMe has a video coming out on soon, takes a learning management system and allows for training anywhere, perhaps even before someone starts work. Interactive training is as it sounds. The employee interacts through moving visuals, quizzes, or other content to learn what's required of them. There's on-the-job training, which is the most widely used but is less effective without a checklist, mentor, or check-in system. And then you have role-playing or group activities. Employees learn through acting in what appears to be a real-life scenario, but is really just a learning environment. Group training helps with teamwork skills or companies with several new trainings coming aboard. What is a checklist? A checklist like this is the perfect way to track progress. A checklist like this is the perfect way to track progress and stay on target with your goals. See if you can include HR or the supervisor on these tasks so they can follow along and work directly with the employee. And why make it static when you can make it interactive? This is a great option for those of you wanting to build your training program through e-learning. People can stop their training and come back to it, knowing where they left off. As we mentioned, setting expectations is an important part of a training program, not just in terms of what's expected of them in their new role, but even with what they can expect throughout the training. Give them an estimated timeline into how long the training could take. It could be days or hours. Just make sure to note its estimated time as people learn at various paces. Don't surprise your trainees with unexpected tests. Let them know upfront that there will be assessments along the way and a test following the completion of the program. Or you even have other options. There's quizzes, projects, or supervised evaluations depending on your line of work. And you might not think that this is necessary for your employee. The fact of the matter is, though, that their performance in these assessments could say more about your training than it does their suitability for the job. Use a template like this one here on visme.com to assess how well an employee is picking up the training. Outlining your training budget is one of the first steps that you'll want to analyze. What will it cost for trainers, tools, and the learning materials necessary to execute your training properly? You want to be as detailed as possible so you can allocate company resources properly. And even if you've already been training and know the return on investment, if you can outline it for your HR departments to visualize, you'd better be able to justify your training costs. Don't forget the simple notion that training is an investment. And as with any investment, you want to know beforehand what return the investment will provide and any recurring costs to expect. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to take action. Thank you for watching this video. One last tip. Know that the work doesn't stop once your training program is complete. You should be asking for honest feedback, revising your strategy as necessary, and even trying new methods that could be better. Adapt. Don't fall behind. Please like this video if you learned anything new, and if you want to learn more, subscribe to our channel. We'll see you again soon. I'm Mike Ploeger with Visme.com. So long, everyone. I hope you learned something today, and we'll see you on the next one. Goodbye.