Find out how to keep your team engaged during training, so everyone knows how to get the job done right.
Janitorial training is important as it covers a myriad of topics including hazardous materials, equipment handling, protective gear, emergency responsiveness out in the field and so many other areas. Your employees need to be aware of all the hazards they may face on the job so they can adhere to the correct protocols in their daily tasks and activities and be better equipped to handle any emergency situations. With all the important training that needs to be given, you may wonder how to keep your team engaged through each session.
Let’s be honest. There are some parts of janitorial training that aren’t given a whole lot of time or effort. If your idea of training is popping a VHS tape into a TV/VHS combo, then it’s time… no, it’s way beyond time to update your process.
This is not to say training videos are a bad idea. They can be valuable and contain vital information, however, if they are out of date, it may be hard to keep your employees focused. You may need to think of ways to supplement your training sessions to reach a higher level of engagement.
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Learn How to Keep Your Team Engaged and Make Janitorial Training More Fun and Effective
Want to know how to keep your team engaged during training, meetings, or any other activity that’s not in the typical job description? Here are 9 ideas to maintain interest.
1. Keep it short. One of the biggest complaints about training (anywhere, not just in the janitorial industry) is that they take too much time. Granted, some things do take time. You don’t want to rush through something like bloodborne pathogen training. At the same time, people can only sit for so long before they start tuning out. Instead of one long session, break up the training into shorter timeframes.
2. Keep it specific. You can help your team stay engaged and retain the information if you keep the training limited to a particular topic. You don’t have to do everything at once. Focus on one topic and your team will be better able to grasp the content.
3. Keep it relevant. If your commercial cleaning company doesn’t work in hospitals and has no plans to do so, a hospital-centric training won’t help you or your team. While it’s interesting to learn, it’s important and necessary to stick with subject matter that pertains directly to your team.
4. Get active. One way to integrate your training and make it more engaging is to make it interactive, if possible. For a lot of people, it’s also a better way to learn. Hands-on learning gives your janitorial team a chance to practice and ask questions while bringing the training to life.
5. Be transparent about the length of the training. Let your team know right at the start how long the training is and how many sections there are. That won’t change the length of the training, but it will help people know where they are in the process. It’s a lot easier to stay engaged when you know you’re three-quarters of the way through, for example, than wondering how much longer it will last.
6. Bring food! If there’s one single secret behind how to keep your team engaged in a training session, it’s probably food. Who doesn’t love a snack or coffee when they’re in training? A snack or drink can be just the pick-me-up people need to stay engaged and pay attention.
7. Make it a game. Get that competitive spirit going and turn training into a game. Have training-related trivia competitions at the end of each section and announce a winner when the session is complete.
8. Help them understand the “why” of training. Here’s another one of the little-known secrets behind how to keep your team engaged during training. Learning how to maintain and repair janitorial equipment can be beneficial. However, when your team understands the reasoning as to why equipment maintenance should be kept up, they gain a better appreciation for the work involved. They’ll know the importance of the training session as it will make their jobs easier, safer, and more efficient.
9. Make training a regular part of your schedule. Whether quarterly, every six months, or once a month, be sure to add training to your schedule. Once it becomes a regular occurrence, your team will get used to it and know what to expect. Having a regular training schedule will also make it easier for you to keep your team updated and in the know on any crucial changes or safety information.
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