If Your Train Them, They Will Stay

• September 22, 2021

I believe one key to building retention, performance and satisfaction is to tell job applicants what will be expected of them if they come on board – and even to tell them during interviews. “Why wait until the first job review and then tell employees what they haven’t done right?” Evan wrote in a recent article.  And we couldn’t agree more.

It makes sense to utilize the earliest opportunities to explain the behaviors, attitudes and accomplishments that your organization values. For example, you can tell job applicants, “We value and reward people who can quickly apply creative solutions to customer issues, who are eager to contribute new ideas and solutions and above all, who demonstrate a strongly positive attitude toward each other and our clients.”

Training Offers an Opportunity to Set Motivational Expectations

The training you deliver to new employees offers an opportunity to teach not only skills but what is valued in your organization. Here are some opportunities . . .

• Talk about the values and behaviors that bring success in your company.
• Discuss your company’s vision, mission, and values. As an exercise, Evan suggests having each employee explain, in his or her own words, just what the company vision is.
• Use videos and other engaging content that teach compelling lessons about your company’s values. You can tell the company story and profile top executives, customers, and employees who are really getting the job done.
• Explain advancement opportunities and career paths within your organization. Spelling out this information motivates employees much more effectively than letting them discover “the ropes” after they come on board.
• Use games, exercises, and break-out activities that encourage trainees to think about why they are performing activities, not simply trying to learn the steps you expect them to take.

To learn more about providing great training, be sure to check out the course Customer Service Success.

About Evan Hackel

Evan Hackel, a 35-year franchising veteran is a nationally recognized expert and speaker on franchising. Evan is founder and CEO of Ingage Consulting, and CEO of Tortal Training, a leading training development company. Evan is an active advisor in the C-Suite Network. He is also author of Ingaging Leadership, and host of “Training Unleashed,” a podcast covering training for business. Contact him here, follow him at @ehackel, or call 781-820-7609.