Constant turnover is very expensive–costing businesses as much as 33% of a worker’s annual salary to replace them. Organizations are looking for ways to retain employees by figuring out what they are looking for and offering those things now and in the long term.
Skills-based training increases employee engagement, regardless of their physical location, and helps improve overall job satisfaction leading to increased retention. In fact, one in three deskless workers said that they do not feel appreciated at work.
So how do you upskill deskless workers and conduct hands-on skills training that results in lower turnover rates and greater job satisfaction?
In this article, we’ll take a look at on-the-job training as part of your staff development practices with five solutions to upskill your deskless employees, increase efficiency and keep your workforce engaged by providing a great learner experience.
Is hands-on training right for you?
On-the-job training is very different from other training methods. Rather than attending a classroom to learn new skills, it’s done on the shop floor, cafe or restaurant, beauty salon, or supermarket. Hands-on training isn’t about learning tied to a desk.
The majority of employees prefer on-the-job training to classroom-based learning. In fact, a workplace study report showed that 68% of employees want to learn or train in the workplace.
Help new employees immediately get accustomed to their duties in a short amount of time by offering deskless workers hands-on training opportunities resulting in:
- Improved products and services. Employees gain knowledge and expertise through training, and skills to create products and provide services will improve, leading to an overall increase in the quality of products and services
- Reduced waste. Your employee becomes more knowledgeable and less likely to make mistakes. The level of waste produced by your business will decrease
- Cost-effectiveness. On-the-job training is a relatively cheap form of training as there are no travel costs to factor into your budget
- Training tailored to the needs of your business. Training where deskless employees follow rules, and safety regulations, such as accident reporting procedures or operating a new piece of machinery for farming businesses or medical settings
Quality hands-on training should be fit for purpose. Deskless workers need to perform well, reach their full potential and stay motivated, regardless of their physical environment.
How online learning can bolster staff development
It’s widely accepted that a heavily skilled workforce is great for productivity. In fact, companies that invest in employee training gain 21% more profit.
Online learning is a great way to upskill your workforce. It provides greater flexibility than classroom-based training and is more suited for deskless workers. It helps employees participate in courses using the internet and doesn’t need them to be present in a physical workplace environment. Employees can join from any location, often learning from home, giving greater flexibility.
Online learning is growing in popularity in the workplace:
Source: https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/learning-solutions/images/wlr21/pdf/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2021-EN-1.pdf?session_referring_url=https://www.google.com/
Learning which takes place using digital platforms allows you to customize an employee’s learning needs. New knowledge can align with company values and departmental standards such as complying with any custom specifications or internal policies and procedures.
Investment in online learning is vital. Your employees will know you’re dedicating resources into them making them feel valued whilst providing a great Learner Experience.
5 Solutions to Upskill Your Workforce
It’s commonly acknowledged that investing in staff development is an essential ingredient for employee retention and engagement. According to research by Capterra, 87% of HR leaders say learning and development is a vital element of their employee retention strategy in 2022. In fact, upskilling and reskilling is one of the top three global priorities for organizations in 2021, seeing a 15% increase since June 2020.
Whether you’re looking for transformational training for one employee or one hundred, Cloud Assess can offer a training and assessment solution by providing:
1. Made-to-measure training
Staff development isn’t a one size fits all approach. Employee learning needs are unique and every business has different goals, priorities, and values.
Having bespoke training is the equivalent of all pieces in a jigsaw fitting together perfectly. Everything flows as it should and it’s much easier to engage your employees, plus allows for the reasonable adjustment for learners with varying needs. Cloud Assess is designed to provide you with a platform for accredited and non-accreditated training. It offers a unique Learner Experience where employees learn by doing and assessment that takes place on the shop floor, or anywhere.
2. Interfaces designed to work alongside your workplace
Have you ever accessed an e-learning module where the interface has been slow, confusing, and painstakingly boring? It’s frustrating, uninspiring, and not an enjoyable learning experience for deskless workers.
Training interfaces must be functional, high quality, and meet industry standards. Easy-to-read text and graphics, use of appropriate language and abbreviations, with clear instructions all help your employee achieve their learning goals.
Cloud Assess has a clean interface, designed so that it’s easy to use. Your employees can get on with the task of learning and not waste time thinking about how to interact, what to do next, and disengaging with their learning.
3. Clear progression routes
Attracting top talent requires organisations to have a robust professional development plan in place, with clearly identified progression routes and opportunities to build in employees’ own contributions.
Existing employees that don’t have access to career development opportunities move on to other organizations and become deskilled. Some 94% of employees would stay with a company if it invested in their career development.
Clear progression routes support employee performance by taking an employee through clearly defined stages in their learning and development by:
- Identifying baseline skills
- Monitoring productivity
- Assessing gaps in employee skills and knowledge
- Evaluating employee retention.
A survey showed that 56% of deskless employees believe that additional training will improve their chances of surviving in a job market that is constantly changing due to advancements in technology.
Deskless workers that have clear progression pathways engage more positively with training. This leads to better performance, increased confidence and maintains their enthusiasm.
4. Improved learner experiences
There are many reasons why learner activities are not a positive experience for employees. Inexperienced trainers, poorly designed training programmes and materials, and low motivation all lead to poor engagement.
Inject life, enjoyment, and relevance into your employees’ learning experience by:
- Chunking learning into bitesize segments that are easily digestible and fun to complete
- Providing regular opportunities for deskless workers to share their new learning with colleagues, for example, on social media
- Creating learning experiences that reflect the environment in which the learner uses their new learning, such as practising using new equipment
Cloud Assess provides engaging and impactful skills development streamlined to deliver real ROI. Enhance the knowledge and skills of your employees by providing them with on-the-job training opportunities that will see them asking for more and their self-confidence soar.
5. Efficient automation processes
Avoid manual, time-consuming repetitive tasks that run the risk of human error and duplication. Take efficiency to the next level by having automated parts of the learning process such as automated emails to show assessments are ready, digital forms, and centralised communication processes.
Developing a smooth and efficient way of learning doesn’t just make employees more productive and engaged.
Cloud Assess can provide a consistent and streamlined experience for all deskless employees by offering simple and manageable methods of communication with assessment and progress, including posts, messaging, and much more.
Ready to take the next step to upskill your employees with hands-on training?
Employees look to managers for support in enhancing their existing skills, knowledge, and confidence. Showing employees you are committed to their professional development helps them feel valued, empowered, and optimistic.
Our solution is built for skills-based training that helps businesses with practical training. It’s engaging and delivers the high performance you need to meet your business goals.
To find out how Cloud Assess can help your business upskill deskless employees, and keep them engaged by taking their learner experience to the next level, click here.
