As a business owner, you are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency and productivity of your operations. You may invest in top-of-the-line machinery and state-of-the-art technology, but productivity truly begins with having a well-trained workforce. You can improve workplace productivity with every new worker that steps into your facility by employing these effective training tips for warehouse employees.
Make Training Standard for Everyone
It can seem easier to put employees with a “seasoned veteran” of the warehouse and simply have them learn as they go. Most workers will still figure out their job in this scenario, but you lose a lot by not making expectations clear for every employee. From a practical standpoint, if workers are learning how to do the same task differently, it will be harder for them to work together. From a safety standpoint, if employees are not on the same page as far as standards and procedures go, accidents are far more likely.
Train for All Machinery
Along the lines of keeping employees on the same page, employees should all receive some training as far as the different machines in your operation go. Obviously, those who are assigned to conveyors, stretch wrap machines, and forklifts should know what to expect when operating them for the first time. But employees should be given some amount of training related to all the machinery in a warehouse so that they know what to expect if the machine is running nearby to keep themselves and others safe.
I Do, We Do, You Do
The best way to ensure that employees have understood and can perform the skill is to not only explain and model the skill, but to watch and be sure that they are able to do it. The “I do, we do, you do” is a simple but effective training strategy for warehouse employees and workers in other fields. Essentially, a trainer models a skill, then works with the trainee to perform the skill, and then observes as the trainee performs the skill themselves. This gives employees the greatest support as they learn and ensures the trainer that they have really learned the skill.
Make Review Materials Available
Even employees who undergo the most effective programs can’t be expected to remember everything at every moment. The nice thing about having a standardized training program is that you will be able to have the materials on file. This will make it easier to make the information available for employees to quickly reference.
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