Effective training plans

06 June 2012

High quality customer service is of great importance to all FM providers and can be achieved through detailed and effective training. A new white paper Effective Training of Front Line Service Employees from ISS has found that the most important outcome of training is to increase the value of the service to customers in a tangible and measureable way in.

The paper concludes that in order to achieve effective training the work must be focused and efficient, and stands as one of the most important internal processes for any company.

The ISS paper finds that training increases customer value in two key ways. The first is through higher productivity and the second is in helping employees to become engaged, and to stay engaged. By establishing a high productivity rate and ensuring employees feel engaged and motivated, FM providers can ensure that customers are receiving the high level of service they expect.

Within the paper, ISS has shown there to be a four-stage process to ensuring training has the desired impact for all involved. These stages include:

- Analysis of Strategic Training Needs: Through engagement with line managers and customers, an organisation can highlight the key areas in which training is required. This allows the training to be tailored to individual needs and the needs of the organisation.
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- Design and Development: The design and development of the training can be undertaken once clear objectives have been set, for both the employees, but also for the organisation as a whole. The correct method of training, which will produce the best outcome, can then be selected and content established.
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- Delivery and Implementation: Effective training is more than simply attending the training day it must include pre-training preparation and well thought through follow up. It is vital for employers to provide feedback and to remove any barriers to change.
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- Measurement and Evaluation: Measuring, tracking and evaluating are all key elements to ensuring effective training. It is essential that organisations put processes in place to measure the impact of the training in the weeks and months following, with feedback provided at regular intervals to guarantee behavioural change.
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A key component to the success of training found by ISS in its research is the importance placed on the role of a line manager. The complete ‘buy-in’ of a line manager will make sure that basic support is provided, such as sufficient cover during the training, through to evaluation and measurement of changes following the training.

Choosing the correct training process is essential for employee engagement, without which the training can be ineffective. ISS has concluded that there are nine important training processes which should be followed for effective training; Base training on needs not availability, use a variety of learning tools and methods, involve the customer in the design and implementation, use external training providers, highlight the importance of the line manager, include ‘other skills not just day to day needs, break it down into small segments, follow up and evaluate the training programme.

Ged Horn, Group HR Director, commented on the report: “If employees are trained effectively, they will be more productive and more engaged and therefore stay longer in their jobs, and they will be more service-orientated. While it is easy to train employees, it is more difficult to do it effectively. By tailoring training to specific needs, using the best tools available and providing measurable follow up, both FM provider and client can work towards a long lasting and mutually productive relationship.”

The full white paper can be download at: http://www.issworld.com/media_library/pages/whitepapers.aspx