Designing and implementing a comprehensive training programthat is both effective and easily executed can be complicated, but establishingone that is unique to your company and intriguing to your staff can be evenmore of a challenge. You should “distinctify” learning and developmentinitiatives on a continual basis to help grasp (and hold) the attention of youraudience. Here are five tips for creating and maintaining a training conceptthat is both successful and innovative.
1. Never stop improving
It’s important to make sure you continue to improve upon andevolve training programs to meet the changing needs of your employees. Learningand development should never be a “one-and-done” initiative; it should besomething that is built into the foundation and culture of your company. Themost powerful training initiatives are flexible and adaptable so they can bemolded to fit our dynamic society.
This year at ERA, we introduced our pioneering “BrandChampion” program to help foster growth among brokers and agents. We identifyand elect regional “Brand Champions” who we task with attending quarterlytraining sessions on new and updated tools and programs offered by the ERAbrand. These “Brand Champions” are then responsible for returning to theirrespective regions, and echoing the knowledge they gained during each trainingsession to the larger network of ERA Real Estate professionals.
2. Have an employee-first mindset
Keeping team members top of mind is the best way to keepthem actively participating in training and development programs. Make sure youare teaching tools and skills they deem important, not just those you or your C-suitebelieve will help improve productivity. Your employees will be much more opento your direction if you are receptive to their ideas.
Every 18 months, our development team distributes a surveyto every broker and agent in the ERA network to get an idea of the specificskills, products, and/or services they would like to see incorporated intonational training programs. Similarly, when brokers or agents become proficientin a new tool or service, we leverage them as subject matter experts to learn howto improve our original training approach.
3. Incorporate new tools
Make sure to keep up-to-date with the latest trends,technologies, and tools affecting your company and the overall economy. Thiswill ensure you’re providing staff members with everything they need to reachtheir full potential and compete with other industry powerhouses.
Currently, on-demand training is a hot topic among learningand development professionals of all professions. Providing team members withaccess to training programs whenever and wherever they want has greatly increasedthe frequency with which they use them. One of the ways we’ve leveraged thistrend in our efforts is through our just-in-time initiative in which wetransform training videos into bite-size, mobile-ready videos accessible byevery ERA broker and agent. This way, each of our professionals has the abilityto refresh themselves on any of the products or services we offer at anymoment’s notice. The results speak for themselves, as we’ve already seen a 617%increase in enrollment for this program since its inception.
4. Gamification isn’t dead
Just like kids, adults love a little friendly competition!Incorporate contests and game-based learning into training programs asappropriate. This will not only increase participation but will also encourage employeesto more fully digest the information being shared. Offering prizes even furtherincentivizes team members to immerse themselves in learning and developmentinitiatives.
At ERA, we already leverage game-based learning with our“Brand Champions” program, where at the end of each corporate training sessionparticipants toss around a ball printed with the names of the new tools andprograms they learned. Each time a “Brand Champion” catches the ball, he or shehas to explain how to use the skill his or her hand is touching most, right onthe spot. We’re in the process of incorporating more interactive, competitivecomponents like this into the rest of our in-person and virtual trainingprograms, so brokers and agents from across the country can challenge eachother to learning- and development-based competitions.
5. Hack or scrap
Don’t be afraid to hack what is working and scrap what’snot. Once a training program is a success, look to team members to determine howto improve upon the initiative. Tweaking programs to make them easier tounderstand will simplify learning new tools or skills in the long-term.Additionally, removing ineffective trainings preserves the credibility of yourlearning and development programs, not to mention ensures time is not misspent.
Running quarterly reports of in-person and virtual training programsallows our team at ERA to see which trainings have the highest attendance andwhich are being underutilized. We use this information to determine whichprograms we should maximize and which we should revisit or remove; in fact, twoof the most highly attended programs identified during our most recent statussurvey are already in the process of being updated.
Reinvigorating your learning and developmentprograms is critical to their success. As your industry advances and evolves, youshould revisit and revitalize your training approach to ensure you areproviding the best service possible to your team.
