Whether you're training new hires, training existing employees in new skills or training employees to enhance existing skills, seminars can play a role in helping develop stronger staff rosters. Employee training seminars may rely on internal company representatives sharing best practices, keynote speakers or selected companies specializing in employee training to run the show. Understanding different ways of training employees through seminars can help you develop effective plans and strategies for meeting training goals at your workplace.
Direct Instruction
Seminars take employees out of their daily schedule and assigned responsibilities, permitting them time and space to focus on information presented. This makes seminars an opportunity to train employees through direct instruction techniques using printed materials, digital presentations or demonstrations. When training employees this way, workers have the chance to listen, observe, take notes and develop questions while absorbing new information. For example, direct instruction in a workplace safety seminar may include reviewing CPR and first aid techniques and distributing copies of maps pinpointing fire extinguishers, stairways or defibrillators in the building.
Role Playing
Another way to train employees through seminars is through role-playing activities. This type of training permits employees to interact with information, practicing techniques or skills through role-playing exercises until workers feel comfortable incorporating newly acquired skills into their regularly assigned roles. For examples, role-playing activities at a customer service call center may involve assigning partners so that one employee assumes the role of an irate or dissatisfied customer while the other employee uses new techniques and skills shared during the seminar to resolve the conflict. When role playing, always permit employees to take turns switching roles so that everyone gets to experience the theoretical situation from more than one perspective.
Hands On
Companies can also train employees through seminars using hands-on manipulation. This way of training employees allows workers to experience new products or processes directly to reduce questions or confusion. For example, perhaps a company is phasing out an outdated email system and incorporating a new one. Equip each employee with a laptop during the technology training seminar so that individuals can set up accounts and learn send, receive, organize and delete emails using the new system under the guidance of an expert. Working with the product firsthand will illuminate common questions and adoption issues so that these can be resolved all at once. Employees may retain more information having used the system themselves rather than reading instruction manuals or listening to directions without a computer in front of them.
Online
Another way to train employees through seminars is through online seminars. This can be an inexpensive way to offer employee training, since employees at remote locations will be able to participate without expensive travel costs. Online seminars can incorporate direct instruction, discussion panels and question-and-answer periods much like traditional seminars. Employees rely on audio and visual technology to engage in the training by typing responses or speaking into microphones linked to the computer.
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