This is a guest post by Rachel Saltsgaver, Content Manager at Lessonly, a simple training software that helps teams learn, practice, and do better work.
It’s no secret that great training helps agents thrive in their roles. But, how do you know if your call center training program is truly working?
To solve this mystery, you need to track your team’s training efforts. Sure, measuring training seems like a lot of work, but the reality is it doesn’t have to be a difficult task. So, if you’re considering how to maintain training records in the workplace, look no further. Here are six easy steps that anyone can take to track their call center’s training efforts.
Why You Need to Track Employee Training
Before we jump into how to track training, it’s great to first know why it’s worth your time. Good tracking gives you the information you need to make additional improvements to training. The right metrics and data will help you see what works, what’s ineffective, and where your training program may have gaps.
As it turns out, when employees aren’t learning or empowered to do their jobs, they’re more likely to quit. In fact, nearly 40% of employees leave a new job within a year if they receive inadequate training. This can easily be avoided by regularly reviewing employee records to make sure that agents have all of the training opportunities and resources they need to be successful.
Lastly, if your agents work in a regulated industry, such as finance or healthcare, there are plenty of laws, compliance standards, and OSHA training requirements that your team has to stay up-to-date with. Tracking employee training ensures that every single agent has what they need to do their job safely, correctly, and legally.
How to Keep Track of Training
So now that we know why it’s important to track training efforts, let’s take a look at how any leader can track their call center training program’s impact.
1. Focus on the right data
You’ve got an abundance of data and metrics at your fingertips, so you need to determine what data and metrics are most important to track. Then, keep your eyes on them. When it comes to measurement, a lot of companies only track training metrics that are purely based on completion rates, but we’d challenge you to branch out and think bigger. This is problematic because it doesn’t fully take into account knowledge retention or feedback, which are important factors to training success. That’s why we suggest focusing on different types of training records that include everything from training completion rates to employee satisfaction to learner engagement.
2. Listen to your team
The best call center teams honestly evaluate their training efforts. Excellent training tracking and assessment is all about listening to your frontline agents to identify training successes and challenges. Instead of focusing on training for your entire team, take the time to look at one role at a time to discover each individual agents’ training needs and wants. This laser-focus will make it easier to uncover trends and deliver training that’s tailored, effective, and appreciated.
3. Use an employee training record template
Everyone on your team needs to be on the same page when it comes to tracking training. To make this a consistent and efficient process, create an employee training record template that includes the data points we just shared. When your entire team is tracking and reviewing the same data, it’s easier to discuss progress and make informed decisions.
4. Put new knowledge to the test
As we mentioned, completing training isn’t the same thing as learning. Agents can attend every training workshop, watch every training video, or finish every online training course, but that doesn’t mean they actually comprehend the content or can apply new knowledge to their role. To overcome this challenge, incorporate assessments, quizzes, or practice scenarios into your training program. This makes it easier to monitor skills and knowledge retention after training is completed.
5. Leverage technology
Training tracking can be even easier with the use of technology. Training tracking software captures training information and turns data into easy-to-read dashboards and reports. Tracking software is best paired with a modern learning management system that allows you to build training content that includes quizzes and satisfaction ratings, assignable training, and tracking efforts all in one, centralized platform.
Teams can also use call center scheduling software to assign training to a specific time block during the day. These tools can be extremely effective in delivering training at the right time for increased engagement, retention, and streamlined tracking.
6. Create a process
Tracking training is not a one-time task. While all of these strategies are helpful, it’s critical to remember that training records management is an ongoing process. So whether you use a training tracking worksheet or online training software that produces electronic training records, it’s smart to set aside dedicated time to review data. Consider reviewing training records on a monthly or quarterly basis, and you’ll reap plenty of rewards.
Final Thoughts
Tracking your training is necessary and often daunting at first glance, but it doesn’t have to be a long or tedious process. We hope these ideas make it easier for your call center team to manage training, learn and grow together, and do better work.
