Best Practices for Maximizing Training Time

January and February are typically high-volume hiring months in the medical community, and it’s imperative that onboarding goes smoothly and proceeds at pace and that trainees have all the tools and resources they need to succeed and thrive. At StaffReady, we often hear about onboarding and organizational challenges. Over the past 25 years, we’ve observed many successful organizations take measures to help alleviate common pain points. Here are some best practices to make sure your onboarding goes smoothly, that no time is wasted during the process, and that when training is complete, trainees have a path forward to further development.

1. There is no ‘one size fits all’ for training solutions anymore

The demands of modern education and trainees may require adjustments for specific learner needs; make sure that you have multiple ways or methods of disseminating information to new hires.

2. Engagement and momentum are key indicators for employee retention

Much like students in any formal education setting, engagement and momentum set the tone for how successful a new hire will be and greatly increase their potential ceiling of operation. Checking in often on new trainees builds trust, gives mentors and trainers the opportunity to provide specific feedback, and improves culture. With healthcare staff turnover still at high levels, this is a very cost-effective way of mitigating potential personnel departures by ensuring that trainees are welcomed, engaged, and motivated.

3. Continuous learning

Continuous learning offers an avenue for tenured employees to further develop their skills as well as a roadmap for new hires to identify goals for their own future development. That can also mean ensuring that mandatory licenses or certifications are maintained and giving new hires an idea of what to expect as they develop.

4. Technology is the ally, not the enemy

While much conventional onboarding must be done in person, an increasing amount of it can be digitized and performed at the trainee’s own pace. If you’re facing a shortage of personnel, it may be time to consider a Learning Management System (LMS) or Workforce Management solution to streamline your training. The metrics generated from those courses can provide detailed feedback for continuous improvement, both for the trainees and for the courses themselves.

5. Single Source of Truth

One issue we often see in health organizations is a lack of cohesive structure around the storage of important company or work information. Making sure that trainees and trainers both know where the definitive source of truth removes the potential for confusion, reduces the inadvertent spread of misinformation, and raises the confidence of your entire organization.

If you’d like to learn more about how StaffReady can help improve your onboarding experience and compliance preparedness practices, you can?book a meeting with one of our experts here.