Although it may feel like a waste of valuable work time, new employee training will ultimately save your business time and money. Without such a focused experience, employees will be lagging in their understanding, drifting in their interest, and dragging in their productivity. Of course, proper training does not have to be massively time-consuming. There are three simple goals that should be met in any employee training program. New employees should

1. Learn about the business, it purpose, and the means by which it attends to that purpose

2. Learn about their own purpose within the business

3. Learn about the means by which they can attend to that purpose

Now, for an employee to effectively "learn" these points, it will take more than a PowerPoint presentation. But that doesn't mean it has be boot camp, either. If you follow the recommendations below, you can execute a functional training program without spending an excessive amount of time and effort in doing so.

Prioritize. You can maximize the impact of a training experience by focusing upon matters that relate directly to the new employee's position. Boil the employee's function down to about 3 primary tasks, and spend the majority of the training sessions focusing on these areas. This will save you time and will help place emphasis on the knowledge that really counts.

Delegate. As you choose a trainer, be sure that this individual is well experienced in the tasks being taught. Also be sure that the trainer is patient, clear, and personable.

Schedule. Since it doesn't always "flow" with the normal office routine, training time can often get lost in the shuffle. But the best way to introduce a new employee to your company is by demonstrating your commitment and resolve to properly instruct all team members. So lock in a set date or collection of dates during which the training will occur, and avoid rescheduling!

Evaluate. Before taking your employee to "the next level," make sure that the previously covered information is well understood. Progressing hastily is often as useless as not progressing at all.

Re-evaluate. Employee training should be an ongoing effort. Whether one has been a member of the business for 6 months or 6 years, it never ceases to be important that the employee is consistently stimulated and challenged to progress in the quality of their work.

To maintain a well-functioning business that strengthens and grows with each passing year, it is imperative that managers plan for the consistent training of employees both old and new. If you train with care and strategy, you will find that the time invested in training cannot compare to the time and productivity saved in the long run.