The rapid development of technology is forcing employers to constantly improve the team’s skills through training. Professional staff increases the competitiveness of the company and its profits. Further training is beneficial for the employees themselves. They cope better with their tasks, which leads to higher salaries and career advancement. Though it is a rare case that office workers feel much joy about additional training. So how to motivate your team to achieve the desired results? This is what will be discussed in this article.

Why do employees resist training?

The unwillingness of employees to learn is a signal for the management of the company. It can be dictated by personal fears of uncertainty, self-doubt. Perhaps the company’s team is not motivated to achieve success, or they don’t see the connection between their efforts and their pay. In this case, the leader should think about the causes and possible solutions.

Reasons why staff does not want to study:

• misunderstanding of learning objectives
• lack of interest in the topic and format of the educational process
• skepticism about management decisions
• low self-esteem or self-confidence
• inflexible (conservative) value system
• unwillingness to spend their free time studying

This list can be continued because the reason for each excuse is the lack of motivation. And the cost of it tremendous. Companies lose $13.5 million for 1,000 employees every year on ineffective training. The only way out is painstaking work to increase motivation.

Rules for effective employee motivation

Corporate training is effective only if it is repeated systematically, and the programs correspond to the tasks that the employee solves at work. Training is associated with personal responsibility when employees themselves are interested in their development. 

• You should always set clear goals for the employees and demonstrate the path to each of them by dividing them into mini-targets.
• The employee should clearly see the reward after the successful completion of training. In this case, the goal will be associated with a bonus and the motivation will be stronger.
• Different ways of motivation should be provided for different groups of employees, departments, divisions.

You will achieve success only when you combine all these factors.

6 effective ways to motivate your team

All attempts to make an employee go to study against his will be futile. It is better to approach this task in a way to pique his interest. 

• Connect training with the career growth

The company policy should state that only those who receive regular training will receive a promotion. So the employee understands that he has every chance to take a new position thanks to his efforts. Training can be also a starting point for participation in a new project, the ability to work with new equipment.

• Make training part of the corporate culture

If training is a value within the company, then employees will be more than happy to support that value. For this, it is important to create accessible ways to exchange knowledge: internal libraries, a portal with video lectures, corporate universities.

Certainly, many companies have already adopted some of these means, but not everyone perceives the information equally. Someone appreciates a lively conversation and the opportunity to ask questions, and the other prefers listening to a webinar in silence or reading a book on the way to work. By interviewing staff, you will understand what training methods you should use.

• Associate the growth of bonuses with training

For each skill mastered and applied in the work, the employee receives a bonus to the salary. In one American trading company, after passing a certain number of seminars, an employee received a salary increase of 10% of it. High test results increased the premium by another 10%. You can also introduce a system of a secret award. Such an unpredictable bonus can be a membership to a fitness club, a trip for a weekend. 

• Provide freedom of choice

Some companies give employees an amount that can be spent on training. Others make sure that the training is as diverse as possible: live lectures and online courses. Another alternative is to teach not only working skills and competencies but also take care of personal development, health and even planning personal employee finances. When a company provides a wide range of training opportunities and at least partial freedom of choice of topics and formats, then an employee does not feel forced.

• Make training profitable for employees

Remember that not only new knowledge and skills are valuable, but also their documentary confirmation: certificates and diplomas. In this sense, it is important to select such contractors who can provide these privileges. Many are tempted to receive another official proof of the skills. During the wide popularity of networking, employees can appreciate new useful acquaintances: tutors and coaches. Sometimes companies develop a whole system of bonuses using their own internal currency, which is accrued for new skills and which can be spent on valuable gifts.

• Engage leaders in training

The training provided by the leader is perceived by the employees in a completely different way. An example of a leader is the best motivation for employees. Share the speeches delivered by the leader of your company. Specialist from resume writing services Essay Tigers advises to engage him in all discussions of books, courses, communication tools etc. Let the leader share his knowledge and experience with newcomers as often as possible.

There is no single rule or best method of motivation. Often intangible methods of reward help to achieve the desired result much sooner than cash payments. The most correct solution is the use of a set of measures aimed at stimulating the work of personnel. Сontinuous training is the key to the success of the company. Refreshing courses should be held once a year, and training and small webinars on a narrow topic should be conducted every 2-3 months. Such an approach will increase the professionalism of employees and team strength.