The typical small business owner pays a higher cost for not training their employees than what it costs in time and money to implement a training program. You can count on poorly-trained employees making mistakes that will cost your company money. Spending on training and education pays off big for you and your employees. For a modest sum, your employees can learn a new skill, build confidence, and boost productivity. Subsequently, you and your business benefit from happier and more productive employees.
The best training is based on ensuring that they know how to run the systems that you have established. People are unpredictable and almost unmanageable. But when you have systems in place, you are no longer managing the employee; you are managing system operation. You can now train the employee on the correct way to do the job, and you have something to measure their results against. For more discussion about the importance of systems be sure to check out our article titled “Improve Sales and Profits With Systems” in the November 2012 issue. Also read “Documenting your Systems Easily” in the same issue.
Don’t just train but test until you are sure that your employees know what they’re doing. This way they never have to admit their ignorance, and you will never have to wonder if they have the knowledge and skills they need to do the job.
Don’t forget to provide general training to all employees, including your receptionist and drivers. They should learn how the company works so they can answer basic customer questions. All employees need training, whether it’s just shadowing an experienced employee for a few weeks or undergoing formal instruction.