Training is an essential part of the onboarding process and an ongoing necessity for continued organizational success. However, unless training is thoughtfully constructed and meaningfully deployed, these efforts can quickly become a costly waste of time and effort. To ensure training initiatives are successful, it helps first to ask employees what they need. It’s easy for leadership to assume they know what’s best, but the fact is employees have a much better idea of the skills they’ll need to better do their jobs. Training should be targeted and use simple methods. “One mistake is failing to be clear and explicit with the target audience on why the organization is holding the particular training. Make sure you define the “why,” Naveen Bhateja of Medidata Solutions says, adding that training should be targeted and easy to follow for better retention. It’s also important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training, and different skill sets and experience levels need to be accounted for. “While it may not be feasible to make customizable orientations, companies should look at the existing orientation and determine if there are some parts that aren’t necessary for all new hires, based on prior experience,” Dina DeMarco of Hueman People Solutions said.