Key Takeaways:
- Worker training programs, both for employees and contract workers, come with their own challenges and risks. These risks can undermine the effectiveness of a training program if not addressed.
- Key risks include incomplete or inconsistent training, outdated training content, poor worker engagement, inadequate evaluation, compliance and regulatory concerns, and worker complacency.
- Each of these risks can lead to adverse outcomes in the field, including unsafe work practices, accidents, injuries, and more.
Introduction
Effective worker training is essential for ensuring safety, compliance, and operational efficiency. To truly manage organizational risk, companies must provide effective training for both full-time employees and contract or temp workers.
In our last post, we explored worker training in the supply chain, including key terminology, roles and responsibilities, and common challenges in implementing a successful worker training program.
In this post, we’ll examine those challenges and risks further to understand how they can undermine the effectiveness of training programs and potentially lead to adverse outcomes. We’ll delve into the specific risks associated with worker training, exploring their potential impacts, and offer strategies to mitigate them.
Risk #1: Incomplete or Inconsistent Training
The goal of a contract worker training program is to ensure that all workers are consistently and properly trained to conduct their work while following safety protocols and neutralizing hazards. Incomplete training occurs when employees do not receive all the necessary information or skills required for their roles. This risk can manifest in multiple different ways, including:
- Gaps in the training program, such as insufficient coverage of critical topics
- Inconsistent training methods or content across departments, sites, or regions, resulting in uneven worker skill levels
- Training that isn’t tailored to specific roles, tasks, and/or sites
- Workers not completing all assigned training
Regardless of the reason, insufficient or inconsistent training creates a hazardous work environment where workers are more prone to errors or unsafe work practices due to a lack of knowledge or skill. Even just one insufficiently trained worker presents a risk to everyone else on the job site.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Conduct Thorough Needs Assessments: Regularly assess the training needs of different roles and update the training program to cover all essential areas.
- Develop Comprehensive Training Modules: Ensure training materials are complete and cover all necessary aspects of the job, including nuances in industry, site, location, or task.
- Implement Follow-Up Assessments: Use tests and evaluations to verify that employees have grasped the training content and compare effectiveness among regions and locations.
Risk #2: Outdated Training Content
Outdated training content refers to training materials that are no longer relevant due to changes on-site or in regulations, technology, or industry practices. This risk is often caused by a lack of resources and can lead to employees working with obsolete or incorrect information.
Beyond staying updated on changing regulations, practices, or hazards, it’s also important to continually evaluate training programs and improve them over time. The best training programs are honed over time by measuring the effectiveness and success of different training methods and content.
Consequences of outdated training content can include regulatory non-compliance, increased liability, decreased training effectiveness, and inadequately trained workers.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Regularly Review & Update Training Materials: Schedule periodic reviews to ensure that training content is current and relevant.
- Stay Informed on Industry Changes: Monitor industry developments and regulatory changes to update training programs accordingly.
- Engage Subject Matter Experts: Collaborate with experts to ensure that training content reflects the latest best practices and standards.
- Continually Review & Iterate: Use worker feedback and evaluations to determine what is and isn’t working, to continually improve the training program overall.
Risk #3: Poor Engagement and Participation
Poor engagement occurs when employees are not actively involved in the training process or don’t fully participate in required training. This can occur due to several different factors, including:
- Uninteresting or seemingly irrelevant content
- Stale or ineffective delivery methods that don’t take into consideration the existence of multiple learning styles or adult learning principles
- Language or cultural barriers
- Lack of worker interest or motivation, leading to low engagement or participation
Contract or temp workers may be more likely to lack engagement or interest in required training since it is not tied directly to their full-time employer.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Use Interactive Training Methods: Incorporate simulations, role-playing, and hands-on activities to make training more engaging. Adults typically learn best with hands-on learning and understanding exactly how the training relates to their job.
- Solicit Feedback: Gather feedback from workers on training content and delivery methods to identify areas for improvement.
- Incentivize Participation: Offer rewards or recognition for active participation and completion of training programs.
- Work with Contractors & Suppliers: Partner with your contractors and suppliers to help them understand the training requirements for their workers. If the company knows training is non-negotiable to work with you, they can motivate their workers to comply.
- Eliminate Language Barriers: Deliver training content in workers’ native languages when possible, and consider cultural differences when training in different regions
Risk #4: Inadequate Evaluation and Follow Up
Simply having a training program is not enough if it doesn’t yield the desired results. Without proper evaluation, it is challenging to determine if the training has achieved its objectives and impossible to make data-driven improvements to the program.
Inadequate evaluation can be due to lack of resources or technology gaps, such as an outdated (or non-existent) learning management system (LMS). A program may also have some evaluation methods but lack a comprehensive approach that measures long-term retention and impact.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Implement Evaluation Tools: Use assessments, surveys, and performance metrics to evaluate training effectiveness, both immediately after training and over time to ensure retention.
- Conduct Regular Follow-Ups: Schedule follow-up sessions to review training outcomes and address any issues or gaps.
- Analyze Training Data: Use data and analytics to measure the impact of training on the job and identify areas for improvement.
Risk #5: Compliance and Regulatory Concerns
Compliance and regulatory risks arise when training programs do not align with legal and industry requirements. Most countries have a regulatory body that governs occupational health and safety (like OSHA in the United States or EU-OSHA in the European Union), and there are strict rules for how companies must ensure workplace safety for all workers, be it an employee or contractor.
Many industries also require specific certifications or training programs, such as those governed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Failure to comply with governmental or industry requirements can result in legal penalties, increased liability, operational disruptions, and reputational damage.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Stay Updated on Regulations: Keep abreast of relevant laws and regulations affecting training requirements.
- Ensure Compliance: Design training programs to meet all legal and regulatory standards.
- Document Compliance Efforts: Maintain detailed records of training activities and compliance efforts for audit purposes.
Risk #6: Worker Complacency
The last risk we’ll examine is worker complacency, which occurs when workers get overconfident or too comfortable with repetitive tasks, leading them to ignore safety protocols, take dangerous shortcuts, or become less vigilant about hazards.
Though the worker has been trained on proper procedures and safety protocols, it’s easy to fall into a comfortable routine that deviates from that training over time as confidence grows. This mentality can be extremely dangerous in the workplace and cause accidents and injuries.
Mitigation Strategies:
- Provide Refresher Training: Regularly schedule safety and skills refresher training to remind workers of safety protocols and proper job procedures.
- Emphasize Accountability: Build a culture where safety is a shared responsibility where workers hold each other accountable.
- Encourage Near-Miss Reporting: Encourage all workers to report near misses or potential hazards without fear of punishment, to promote active risk awareness and provide additional training to address those hazards.
Conclusion
Worker training is a vital aspect of risk management, but it comes with its own set of challenges and risks. By understanding these specific risks and implementing effective mitigation strategies, organizations can enhance the effectiveness of their training programs, ensure compliance, and foster a safer and more competent workforce. Prioritize comprehensive, up-to-date, and engaging training methods to address these risks and achieve your training goals.
Avetta offers a suite of worker training tools for organizations seeking to streamline and enhance their training efforts, particularly in the supply chain. Learn more about Avetta’s worker training solutions here.