In the business world, there can be an overwhelming amount of information to remember. This means employees need to improve retention. Between frequently updated training videos, and learning new tasks, it is hard for employees to remember small details. This is why it is important for business trainers to supply employees with the tools needed to improve retention. Today we discuss helpful tips that help with retention no matter where you work.
Focus on One Topic
When training on a new topic it is important not to overwhelm the employees. In the beginning, it can seem like they are genuinely retaining information, but if you come back to those topics later, it is obvious that the information did not stick. In any situation where you are providing new information, it is important to take your time on each new topic. Spending a set amount of time watching only Microsoft Word training videos, or training in how to file certain documents, helps employees become confident in those areas. After completing the set amount of time for each new topic, they can confidently move on to other subjects.
Use Visual Aids
Learning new things can be complicated, especially in the business world. If possible, it is very beneficial to use demonstrations to aid in training. There are many different ways for people to learn. Some employees learn best by hearing information, others have to write it down, some people need to use demonstrations in order to fully understand a topic. Using visual aids help employees see and understand what they are being taught. Some people can hear something multiple times but unless they can see it in action it won’t click in their mind and it won’t be retained later.
Recall and Remember
Some people carry their preferred method of learning with them from school. In high school and college, lots of people learned through repetition, and therefore continue to learn this way in the workplace. Bigger Brains ran with this idea and created BrainBot, an AI-based chatbot. This training tool sends periodic communications to help users retain knowledge from selected Bigger Brains training courses. BrainBot works through Microsoft Teams, Slack, Messenger, and Email. With this chatbot, trainers can pair it with training videos that already exist, or they can customize and add their own content. These features make this AI-based chatbot useful for any business in need of training material.
Put it Into Practice
Like utilizing repetition, practicing a topic helps solidify it in employees’ minds as well. For example; if employees are watching training videos on how to use Microsoft Excel, encourage them to open Excel on their computers and follow along with the training video. As a result, you are helping improve retention in employees because they are hearing, viewing, and practicing a skill all at the same time. This is not limited to training videos. If you are training a new employee on how to complete a task, having them do it while someone explains it to them will help improve their retention.
Look for Opportunities to Teach Others
Teaching others is one of the most effective ways to improve retention. When employees have to help fix a problem, they search through their memories to remember how to do the task. By retrieving this piece of information, they are reinforcing with their brain that this piece of information is important. Not only does this habit help the teacher, but it also helps the person in need by letting them hear an explanation from another source.
There are many ways for people to learn and remember new topics. Most of it has to do with how that person’s brain works and what helps them the most. Hopefully, these training tips can help improve retention for everyone around the office.
