Welcome back to our series on employee training for franchise business owners! In our first article, we discussed why you should invest in training for employees. Our next few articles discuss the nuts and bolts of creating effective employee training programs.
Today we explore the various types of employee training programs you may consider implementing within your franchise. As you read the list below, consider which types make the most sense given your franchise, employees, and positions.
10 Types of Training for Employees
To adequately address the needs of your team and business, you’ll likely need a mix of training types. Let’s take a closer look at ten common types of employee training.
1. Orientation/Onboarding Training
Every journey starts with a first step, and in a new job, that first step is orientation or onboarding training. This initial training is about immersing new hires in the company’s culture and familiarizing them with processes. Orientation or onboarding training typically includes things like:
- A snapshot of the company’s journey, its mission, and values
- Face-to-face meetings with team leads and department heads
- A clear outline of roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations
- A guide to company policies, procedures, and codes of conduct
- A basic tutorial on job-related tools, software, and technologies
2. Product Training
Your product or service is the backbone of your franchise, and your employees must be product/service experts. This type of training for employees can include an introduction ‘course’ for new hires with topics such as:
- The inner workings, features, and benefits of the product or service
- Understanding the customers’ needs and how the product or service fits into this picture
- Navigating common customer queries, troubleshooting, and problem-solving
You can also have periodic product training sessions to inform all employees about product news, updates, and features.
3. Customer Service Training
A great customer service training program can turn employees into your franchise’s brand ambassadors. Customer service training is not just about teaching employees to smile or be polite; it’s about equipping them with tools to handle a wide range of customer interactions, such as:
- The art of positive and effective communication
- Strategies to tackle challenging customer situations and turn them around
- Understanding the franchise’s service standards and maintaining consistency
Any employee with a customer-facing role should also be trained on the specifics of customer service as it relates to their department/function/position.
4. Sales Training
Sales training can boost your bottom line and enhance the team’s understanding of the customers’ needs and how to address them. Comprehensive sales training helps new employees master the entire sales process in your franchise and may include items like:
- Understanding tried-and-true sales techniques and strategies
- Role-playing activities to simulate real-world sales scenarios
- Deep dive into customer demographics, needs, and how your product/service fits into this equation
- Advanced training in up-selling, cross-selling, and relationship maintenance
5. Technical Skills Training
Depending on the technical knowledge required to perform jobs in your franchise, you may also want to consider technical skills training.
This training aims to equip employees with the necessary knowledge to use the tools and technology effectively. For example, you may need to train employees on how to use your CRM or the innovative features of your cloud-based phone system.
Elements of this training include:
- Practical sessions on job-specific tools and software
- Modules related to industry-specific knowledge
- Workshops that share best practices for handling technical tasks
- Continuous training to keep up with new technologies or changes in existing ones
6. Soft Skills Training
Soft skills are interpersonal skills that typically involve how a person relates to others (employees, customers, managers, etc.). Some examples include communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and adaptability.
Although soft skills can be tied to personality, they can be taught. Because of this, franchise owners may consider a soft skills training program that helps employees develop these essential traits. A soft skills training program may include the following:
- Workshops on effective communication and active listening
- Problem-solving exercises and decision-making simulations
- Team bonding and collaborative activities
- Modules about time management and organizational skills as they relate to the job
7. Safety/Compliance Training
Safety and compliance training keeps your employees and business safe by ensuring everyone follows the required procedures and protocols. This type of training for employees may include:
- In-depth understanding of workplace safety procedures
- Thorough knowledge of industry-specific compliance regulations
- Realistic emergency response and first aid drills
- Regular training updates to stay in tune with changing regulations and safety practices
8. Team Training
The types of employee training we’ve mentioned so far focus on developing individuals. However, in most franchise businesses, people do not work in isolation. If your employees interact, cooperate, and collaborate with other team members, you may consider using team training to boost your team’s collective performance. Key elements of team training include:
- Workshops on teamwork strategies and best practices for working together
- Team-building activities that encourage bonding and mutual understanding
- Problem-solving exercises to boost collective decision-making
- Conflict resolution training to maintain a harmonious working environment
9. Leadership Training
Leadership training can enhance the skills of those already in leadership roles or train employees with leadership potential. A good leadership training program helps to develop the individual’s natural characteristics and nurture them to become effective leaders who can drive the franchise forward. Leadership training can include:
- Understanding different leadership styles and identifying personal leadership traits
- Workshops on leadership skills like decision-making, strategic thinking, and delegation
- Training on how to motivate teams, build trust, and foster an inclusive workplace
- Sessions on crisis, conflict, and change management
10. Upskilling/Reskilling Training
As we mentioned in the opening article of this series, today’s employees are looking for value, purpose, and fulfillment in their jobs. Upskilling and reskilling can help employees grow their skills and provide a pathway to advance in your franchise.
So what are upskilling and reskilling? Upskilling refers to expanding the employees’ skillsets so they can advance along their career path. Meanwhile, reskilling refers to teaching employees new skills that may apply to other positions in your business. Both upskilling and reskilling allow employees to learn and develop new skills, thus increasing their sense of purpose and belonging while making them more valuable assets to your franchise.
Important aspects of these types of employee training include:
- Workshops and courses to deepen employees’ existing skill sets
- Reskilling initiatives to prepare employees for new roles or tasks
- Continuous learning opportunities to stay ahead of industry changes
Which Types of Employee Training Are Right for Your Franchise?
The list above highlights the ten types of training for employees. Each brings unique benefits and can significantly enhance employee performance and job satisfaction.
So which types of employee training are suitable for your franchise? That depends on your specific business. Review the list above and choose a few that make the most sense, given your franchise’s and employees’ needs. Also, remember that you may combine types of training, so you don’t need distinct training programs for each area. For example, your onboarding training may have a module on product training, or your customer service training may include elements of soft skills training.
And we’ll be providing further guidance in upcoming articles! While we discussed the types of employee training today, next time, we’ll talk about the various training methods (the forms your training programs can take). Whether it’s instructor-led, eLearning, role-playing, mentoring, or something else, we’ll help you decide the right mix of training methods to use in the employee training programs you’re creating. Until next time, we’ll leave you to decide on what types of training make sense for you. See you soon!
