During the latest economic slump, leaders at organizations across the country may be wondering how to provide the most cost-efficient learning solutions to enhance the growth of their remaining workers and maintain retention in the future. Start by compiling a set of resources based on employees' training topics of interest during the onboarding process. Then continue to share some bite-sized tidbits of information and opportunities for additional education along the way.
If your department's budget is suddenly experiencing a decrease or being frozen, then you'll definitely want to read the following tried and true methods that 16 Forbes Human Resources Council members came up with to create effective training ideas for staff members at their place of business who want to level up in their current career and beyond.
Forbes Human Resources Council members.
Photos courtesy of individual members.1. Leverage Internal Experts
Leveraging internal experts can be essential for a team because people are our best asset. We utilize experts across the organization to help upskill and cross-skill our employees on a range of topics. For example, we’re partnering with designers to launch a "Design Thinking" workshop that will offer training for innovation and creative problem-solving skills. Our project managers also deliver management training on tools for mentorship and peer learning. - Jason Lee, DailyPay
2. Conduct Employee Surveys
Leaders can engage with employees via surveys to find out what’s working and what isn’t. Providing asymmetrical access to executives and information is key, as well as instituting in-person and remote team-building and philanthropic initiatives. Unconscious Bias training that includes modules around remote workers and helping them feel included is also important. Communicating authentically is key. - Gianna Driver, Exabeam
3. Offer On-The-Job Training
On-the-job training is the most cost-efficient learning option that enhances employee growth and retainment. In my organization, I pioneered cross-functional, on-the-job training, and this has impacted our talent management, employee engagement and retention. Our staff and managers have created effective career paths to enable growth within the business. - Awuese Oku, African Development Bank
4. Provide New Hire Resources
Dedicating resources to onboard new team members is relatively inexpensive. This may entail pulling team members from their typical day-to-day tasks to make sure that new employees are acclimated, which will positively impact productivity when done well. This dedicated effort ensures they are assimilated into the company quickly and that they embrace its core behaviors and values from the very beginning. - David Tripp, Sage Dental
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
5. Support Cross-Departmental Training
One low-cost initiative I have used to support staff members' development is cross-training. Encouraging and arranging for employees in different divisions of the same department to sit with their counterparts and learn more about what they do is invaluable. Employees learning from each other provides a better comprehensive understanding of the work that is done to support the business. - Rebecca Edwards, Infinite HR of Charlotte
6. Share Bite-Sized Education
I've always enjoyed sharing weekly bite-sized learnings. All it takes is a well-written email sent out with something short, yet highly relevant to top-of-mind challenges. I've shared PDF white papers, links to articles, videos, podcasts, short gamified eLearning and more. The beauty of it is that if it's brief and relevant, it's fair game and an excellent, inexpensive way to share knowledge. - Jeffrey Pietrzak, Work Exceptional, LLC
7. Offer Mentorship And Event Programs
A few low-cost initiatives that we've activated include mentorship, encouraging attendance at industry events, eLearning, enacting a book club, buddy coaching, guest speakers and lunch and learns. These are low-cost programs that are effective in helping employees grow and stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry. They all help to build relationships with other professionals in our field. - Leigh Yanocha, Knopman Marks Financial Training
8. Set A Recurring Weekly Learning Hour
I require my team members to select one hour out of their work week to dedicate to learning. It has to be a recurring calendar event for them to focus on upskilling or enhancing knowledge that can be used on their current job, in a special project or to prepare for their next level role. I also collaborate on identifying visibility opportunities, such as presenting to senior leadership. - Bridgette Wilder, Wilder HR Management & EEO Consulting
9. Invite Industry Guest Speakers
We have successfully utilized suppliers to provide specific training to employees. As small and medium-sized enterprises in their fields, they often provide free or low-cost sessions on the latest trends and best practices. Our staff gains valuable insights to continue their job growth, suppliers become a more trusted partner and we provide opportunities for ongoing training that helps with staff retention. It's a win-win-win! - Lynne Marie Finn, Broadleaf Results
10. 'Lead By Following'
An easy low-cost training initiative that can be useful is a concept called "Lead By Following." It is a weekly or monthly lunchtime chat where each staff member recommends something or someone they follow. The chat involves sitting down, listening and commenting or discussing the topic after the fact. This is a great way to encourage growth and learning while also getting to know your staff better. - Greg Henderson, Whirks
11. Implement 'Teach Me Teach You' Initiatives
My favorite training initiative is something we created at our company called "Teach Me Teach You." It's a concept where you pair up employees across levels, roles and divisions for 30 minutes. Then, each person has 15 minutes to teach their partner a process, service, approach or technology hack. This not only serves as snackable training but also serves to connect employees on a one-on-one basis. - Cat Colella-Graham, Employee Experience Leader, Consultant
12. Do Case Study Problem-Solving
I have found case studies and the discussions that follow to be a low-cost and truly effective method. They expose people to real business situations, ask them to take well-reasoned positions, provide opportunities to discuss and collaborate on potential solutions and give them time to practice problem-solving. Case studies are a good way to move from theory to the real world. - Kari Durham, Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
13. Develop Self-Delivered Training Options
Our team had many new and inexperienced managers. To provide a springboard of learning opportunities, we developed simple internal self-delivered training. Implementing this strategy serves two purposes: It allows for team building, and it provides exposure to many tried-and-true learning methods, such as Myers-Briggs assessments, financial comprehension and hiring fundamentals. Self-delivered training has been so successful at our company that it has expanded and become a much anticipated annual event. - Gordon Pelosse, CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association
14. Prioritize Employee-Based Training Topics
One approach is to survey team members and develop a list of training topics to prioritize. Then assign company leadership as the training facilitators. It's a great way for junior team members to learn and engage with senior staff. - Ken Kanara, ECA
15. Facilitate Fireside Executive Chats
Fireside chats with executives in leadership are low-cost, minimal effort opportunities. They allow teammates to ask questions and hear viewpoints from senior leaders while also allowing leadership to connect and stay on the pulse of employee engagement. - Maria Leggett, AvidXchange
16. Create Digital Micro-Learnings
Targeted individualized learning opportunities are a great way to retain top talent. Self-guided individual and team micro-learnings can be developed internally and delivered through a low-cost digital facilitation platform. - Diana Newmier, CHRO to Go
