Tips to ensure that your employees apply the skills they learn in soft skills training to their daily work
By: Sheldon Kawarsky (Continuous Learning Instructor)
Soft skills are an increasingly important part of the modern workplace. Employers recognize that providing soft skills training can help bolster their business’s success and keep employees motivated and fulfilled. But how do you ensure they put what they have learned in soft skills training courses into practice? Here, we’ll discuss the strategies employers can use to guarantee their workers apply their soft skill knowledge on the job—so employees will benefit from a better working environment and improved performance levels.
Set clear learning objectives
While training programs are effective in helping employees learn new skills, the real value lies in ensuring the newly learned skills are put into practice. To achieve this, it’s important that these training programs set clear learning objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant. Additionally, linking soft skills development training to performance goals can serve as a powerful motivator for employees to apply their newfound skills.
By setting specific targets and offering regular feedback, managers and employees can work together to ensure that the training investment pays off, benefiting both the individual and the organization.
Provide opportunities for practice
One effective strategy for ensuring new soft skills are practically applied is providing ample practice opportunities. Once a skill has been taught, fostering an environment where employees can experiment with what they’ve learned is important. This could mean role-playing different scenarios or engaging in activities that require applying the new skill.
Soft skills are not developed overnight; it takes consistent effort and reinforcement to truly integrate them into the workplace. By allowing for hands-on experience, employees can better understand how to apply their soft skills training in real-life situations. It’s important to remember, however, that practice should be ongoing.
Provide ongoing support
To ensure that newly acquired soft skills are implemented, employers must invest in providing ongoing support to their employees. This investment can take many forms, such as continued soft skills training for the workplace, mentoring, or team-building exercises.
By taking a proactive role in encouraging and supporting the application of these newly learned skills, companies will undoubtedly see positive impact and growth within their teams and overall business performance. Remember that learning is a journey, and it’s up to employers to help guide their employees through it.
Encourage peer learning
Encouraging peer learning helps to create a team environment where employees can learn from one another. By sharing experiences and tips, team members can help each other apply the skills they’ve learned in their corporate soft skills workshops. They can also provide constructive feedback, share best practices, and support each other in reaching their goals.
Peer learning facilitates the application of skills and creates a positive work culture that promotes collaboration and learning. Encouraging your employees to participate in peer learning can lead to a more engaged, productive and motivated team.
Recognize and reward progress
Learning something new doesn’t necessarily translate into applying it in the workplace. It’s vital for employers to recognize the difficulty faced by employees in using newly learned soft skills. Recognizing and rewarding progress is an excellent strategy to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development. Celebrating every small step is proven to increase motivation levels, which eventually translates into better performance and productivity.
By implementing a recognition and reward program in your organization, you can galvanize your employees to apply their newfound soft skills training and be more effective in their roles.
Kawarsky, Sheldon. “Tips To Ensure That Your Employees Apply The Skills They Learn In Soft Skills Training To Their Daily Work”, The Soft Skills Group, 6 Jun 2023, https://www.tssg.ca/ensure-your-employees-apply-the-skills-they-learn-in-soft-skills-training/
