Successful Training Needs to Be Personalized

Just like an off-the-rack suit won’t fit most people, a one-size-fits-all approach to training is doing most of your learners a disservice. Employees have different needs, goals, aptitudes, backgrounds, and roles. When they are provided with identical training content, it will be ineffective at best and demoralizing at worst. Instead, center the learners in your learning programs with personalization. While this is more labor-intensive and resource-heavy, consider why you’re training employees in the first place. The purpose of training should be to drive long-term behavioral changes that stick. To do this, create training programs that are personalized for employees’ interests and career goals. Start by asking people what they want. Needs assessments will help guide your decisions. Empower learners to set their goals, and follow up with them on how the training program went. Connect each employee with the content they need, and provide them with the tools necessary to thrive. If you have an employee who is interested in reworking your marketing materials, for instance, set them up with courses in graphic design, and buy a subscription to a robust photo editing platform. Investing in your employees will make your workforce more resilient and more likely to remain engaged and retained.