The Ultimate Guide to Employee Training and Development

1. Employee Training FAQs

Employee training and development is an important investment in your team and your organization’s future. Check out the content below to learn about why an investment in L&D is worthwhile, how to choose the right training topic, and more.

2. Upskilling and Reskilling

Upskilling happens when an employee gains new skills relevant to their current job or grows the ones they already have. Reskilling, on the other hand, is when the employee learns new skills so they can take on a new role. Both are key to your organization’s ability to adapt to change, retain top talent, and address skills gaps.

3. Learning and Development Plans

Learning and development plans guide employees through the process of growth and skill development. Providing employees with personalized L&D plans equips them with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to be effective. These plans may include things like one-on-one coaching, group training, webinars, conferences, podcasts, and more.

4. Learning Formats

From in-person group training sessions to self-paced nano learning courses, there are a lot of ways to learn. Understanding formats like asynchronous learning, experiential learning, and more can help you select a learning method that best aligns with your team’s needs and learning preferences.

5. Assessments

Assessments like CliftonStrengths®, DiSC®, and EQ-i 2.0® can help your team members understand themselves, each other, and how they can work most effectively individually and as a team. Which assessment is right for your team depends on your culture and goals, but we recommend picking one and sticking with it. Chasing the latest assessment fads makes it difficult to consistently apply what you’ve learned and build a common language with your team.

6. Mental Health First Aid

One in five American adults experience a mental health disorder in a single year. Are you prepared to address mental health and substance use challenges in your workplace? Offering training like Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) can equip employees with the skills to recognize signs and symptoms of these challenges, offer initial help, and guide people toward appropriate care.

7. Hardiness and Resilience

Hardiness refers to the way individuals respond to stressful and unexpected situations. Cultivating hardiness skills through training and coaching can help individuals be more resilient to change and cope better with stress. This leads to higher life and work satisfaction, and happier, more engaged, more adaptable employees create healthier, more productive, and more effective work environments.

8. Harassment Prevention

Creating a safe and respectful work environment for your employees takes more than a written policy. Consistent employee training ensures that your team understands all types of harassment, what your policy is, and how to prevent harassment.

9. Communication

Developing your and your team’s communication skills is critical to working effectively. Miscommunication—or lack of communication—can lead to a lot of time spent fixing problems and getting on the same page. That’s time that could have been spent doing the actual work! If that sounds familiar, communication coaching or training might be a good idea.

10. Change Management

Studies show that the majority of change initiatives fail. Change is inevitable, though, so it’s important to be prepared. Coaching and training on the topic of change management can help you and your team understand how to effectively lead through change. Then, you’ll be ready the next time change pops up in your workplace!

11. Interview Training

The interview experience is an important part of your employer brand. You don’t want to lose talented candidates because your hiring managers don’t know interview best practices! Offering training on interviewing can help your organization put its best foot forward during the recruiting process.