HR Management & Compliance, Learning & Development

5 Signs Your Employees Need Refresher Training

Refresher training is just as important as initial training. One could even argue that it may be more important than initial training because it increases employee productivity rates and lowers operational costs related to rework and unsatisfied customers. And a lack of sufficient training can lead to many negative effects.
So, how do you know if your employees need refresher training? Here are five telltale signs you won’t want to miss.

A High Number of Repetitive Mistakes Are Happening

Have you noticed common and repeated errors in reports and communications, especially those being sent to external stakeholders? Have you started to notice that products on the assembly line aren’t being assembled properly or are passed through inspections, even though they don’t meet your company’s quality standards? Mistakes happen, but if you start seeing the same mistake made repeatedly by multiple employees, it’s time to give refresher training.

There’s an Inability to Keep Pace with Technology Updates and Renewed Policies

If your company uses technology that is constantly updated, you may notice that it is consistently being used improperly or not at all if you aren’t giving refresher training on how to use it each time it’s updated. This is especially the case for machines and systems used for assembly lines, as well as systems developed by the IT department. In addition, you may start seeing mistakes each time renewed policies are updated (especially in the healthcare sector) and may have to send out refresher material a few times before employees catch on to the new policies.

Productivity Is Waning, and Turnover Rates are Increasing

If employees don’t know how to do something or aren’t sure what’s expected of them on a regular basis, they’ll stop being as productive as they can be. They may even start to quit in large numbers. If you notice that even your once all-star employees are waning in their work output or in the quality of their work, it’s probably a great time to give refresher training.

More Accidents and Safety Concerns Are Occurring

If a high number of injuries are occurring at your workplace, refresher safety training may be required. For example, when employees forget how to use machinery properly or forget proper safety protocols to follow when operating machinery, more accidents and injuries occur. Or there may be a higher number of slip and fall-related injuries, or more employees or customers are going to the emergency room.

Customer Satisfaction Rates are Much Lower than Normal

When more customers start reporting legitimate complaints, it might be time to give refresher training. This is especially important for customer service and sales reps, as well as associates who work in order fulfillment o
If possible, don’t wait until you see all the signs mentioned above before implementing your refresher training.

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