Training and development plays a core role in building a robust, agile workforce. Effective training increases the speed at which employees reach the upper levels of productivity, while ineffective training can potentially slow this process down, and in some cases even prevent workers reaching their full potential.
The customer experience is a constantly evolving field that contact centres have to navigate, staying up to date with latest trends, habits and needs of an organisation's customer base. As a result of this, ongoing training is a key element of a forward-thinking communications strategy.
When training call centre staff, it's important managers and trainers don't fall into the pitfall of 'scrap learning' - training that has been learned but not put into practise - for both new and existing employees. Scrap learning is costing businesses money, yet for organisations making the most of Fonality's business phone systems, scrap learning can be a thing of the past.
How can businesses scrap scrap learning?The hidden cost of scrap learning
If opportunity is all that it takes to make training stick, then thankfully there's a simple solution.
Use it or lose it. That's the mantra behind scrap learning. Anything not put into practise in a timely manner will be quickly forgotten and must be taught anew. Extra training takes time that can be better spent elsewhere, yet there's a financial price tag to this practise too.
For most businesses, the average cost of scrap learning is $1,500 per employee per year, and can be as high as $2,600 according to Aberdeen Research. In terms of investment, the cost of scrap learning is around $1.80 for every dollar invested in training.
So what is the window of opportunity between the points where training is fresh and shiny, to where it rusts and becomes useless scrap? Six weeks is the tentative estimate given by Aberdeen. This window can be caused by many things, such as employees being too busy to put what they've learned into practise, or simply that they haven't had the opportunity to apply the training within six weeks.
Just six weeks is enough to necessitate retraining, which eats time and productivity for both the trainer and trainee. If opportunity is all that it takes to make training stick, then thankfully there's a simple solution with Fonality's business phone systems.
Effective communication can improve training's outcome.Ensure ongoing training is simple and effective
Putting the power of unified communications behind a business phone system gives both trainers and trainees the ability to constantly monitor, review and adapt to training to make sure that what's learned is not forgotten.
- Skills-based routing. Trainees will always have an opportunity to practise their training with the ability to direct calls to specifically test their newly acquired skills. No more leaving opportunity to practise to random chance.
- Barge, whisper and monitor. With the ability to drop in and out of a call anonymously, trainees can make sure that employees are applying their skills on a regular basis.
- Screen sharing and call recording. With Fonality's Heads Up Display (HUD) application, employees can quickly take control and reinforce essential training techniques and record calls on the fly to make sure training has sunk in correctly.
- Real time metrics. It's all good to employ and new training strategy, but without a quick and timely way to review its effectiveness, training issues may not be spotted until it's too late. Real time metrics helps ensure managers are given the most up to date information as possible.
With Fonality's business phone systems, organisations of any size can benefit from the full functionality of a contact centre. To find out more about our phone systems, unified communications and more, start up a conversation with a team member today.
