As a manager or owner of a company, how do you know that your team members are doing everything they can to give your customers the best experience, every single time they come into your store or business? Have you ensured that your staff are effectively trained and have you implemented proper monitoring procedures to hold them accountable? If you answered no to either question, it might surprise you to learn that companies who increase their training budgets see increases in their profit margins as high as 24% (Business Training Experts).
We all know that instead of going to work, 99% of people would rather be off laying on a beach somewhere, chasing a thrill, or experiencing something new. I mean, come on now – work is generally not fun. However, when we are at work, we want to do a good job. Most employees want to feel they are a valuable, contributing member of their company. They will go above and beyond when they feel they are appreciated. That makes the time at work worthwhile, albeit not exactly fun.
For a company to get their team members to buy-in, there must be steps taken throughout their lifecycle at your company. According to BusinessTown.com, one of the most important reasons employees do not work efficiently is because they do not know what is expected of them. When a new team member is onboarded, clear expectations and goals must be defined to them. Whenever new policies or procedures are implemented, new and experienced employees alike must be made completely aware of the new responsibilities, and procedures. Training is not a one-time event but should occur on a continual basis.
Communication is another critical step to making sure that what you train your employees to do is exactly what they are, in fact, doing. The Training Journal emphasizes that communication is a crucial factor to training efficiency and that without it, companies will not achieve quantifiable results. Companies should be checking in with their employees regularly during the training process in order to make sure the team member is understanding the procedures being taught, as well as they “why” behind each task. That communication must continue beyond the training process in order to keep all employees applying the training techniques throughout their employment.
Finally, companies must monitor how their practices and policies are being implemented on a regular basis. Even with the best training possible, employees can forget tasks, start to lose motivation, and/or just begin slacking off. By monitoring employees, a company can spot any holes being created by an employee not following through on any part of what they were trained to do, for whatever reason. Once those holes are spotted, refreshers on the training policies can be swiftly implemented. Team members will appreciate the support and the company will benefit from the extra efforts.
Mercantile Systems, Inc. (MSI) can help with your training and monitoring. We are a mystery shopping company with experience helping companies just like yours. By utilizing a custom mystery shopping program with us, you can ensure that all your employees understand and execute each important step of service critical to your businesses success.
Click HERE to contact an MSI team member today to learn how we can help.
