Why is the involvement of managers in the training system essential?
As a Training Manager, have you ever been faced with the following situation:
You have developed a training device that 100% meets the needs of your target, etc.
… And yet, the results are disappointing.
What element of the programme might be missing?
Did you know that 50% of non-tutored programmes have a completion rate of less than 10%, while 65% of tutored programmes have a completion rate of more than 60%?
So, have you thought about involving managers in the process?
If the answer is no, there is a good chance that the teams’ performance will not be at its highest potential.
Involving managers in your training process will therefore contribute to the skills development of your learners, and at the same time to the success of your training programme.
What is the role of the manager in the acquisition of skills?
Training is an improvement in skills, of which about 10% is due to formal training, 70% to practical experience in the field and 20% to help from more experienced colleagues – including managers.
In concrete terms, what must managers do, and what can they do, to facilitate the acquisition of skills by their staff?
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Communicate with employees
The first task of the manager is to communicate with their staff in order to identify what they actually need in terms of skills development. The manager can then, in conjunction with the training department, suggest to them those training courses that are best suited to these needs.
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Manage training registrations
Managers have power to oversee actions related to registering and deregistering their staff on training courses. They can register learners or accept/refuse registrations by learners. They must, however, explain their choices: for example, if the training is not the most suitable, or if they think that training is premature. Theoretically, they thus have a right of oversight over the management of their staff as learners.
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Track learners’ progress via an online training solution
Once the registrations have been validated, managers do not cease to have responsibility for following the progress of learners. They can, by means of the online training solution, visualise and monitor their progress, in the positive sense of the word. This kind of positive observation is necessary to be able to really coach and ensure the maximum progress for staff. Managers and staff have a common interest, namely increasing the performance of the company. It is more a case of cooperation.
Thus, managers follow learners by accessing dedicated dashboards. They access the results, can see the responses, progress, and statistics of employee engagement and sign-in trends. Their role and interventions in the pedagogical process must be known to learners, so that managers are seen as an additional resource with high added value.
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Validate the badges and skills acquired
Obviously, we understand the interest and the stakes involved in training and preparing managers for this important role which they are encouraged to play.
At the end of the course, managers can also participate in the validation of the badges and skills acquired, beyond the final quiz, however good it may be. This possibility further humanises the system. It also makes it possible to make adjustments to the educational path of each employee. And finally, above all it gives feedback on the implementation of the skills acquired in the workplace (observed in the field by managers and raised by them in the online training solution).
Managers are thus side by side with their staff. They are aware of their skills development. This allows them better to define the tasks they assign to them, but also to “push” them when they think it possible and relevant. And create appropriate support pairs or working groups between colleagues.
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Coaching employees
As mentioned above, a training device incorporating coaching is much more engaging. Thus, it is interesting to be able to add this brick to the task of the manager.
In order to play a greater part in the employee training plan, the manager will be able, using a dedicated tool, to manage the coaching sessions, visualise the upcoming coaching sessions, create a virtual session with an employee or see the complete list of past and future coaching sessions.
As you have understood, with an online training solution and a dedicated space, managers can easily play their real part, by getting involved in the learning of staff. Thanks to the tracking, validation, communication, and possible support, offered by the system, managers have the means to act as a manager-coach.
