What is group training?

Group training involves training a group of employees together. It could be your entire staff or a subset of your employees. New employee training is one example if you hired several people at once. You might have them all come in on the same day to do the standard training all employees need. It also works well for team training when everyone on a certain team needs to learn something specific.

When to use the team training format

Knowing what type of training to use in different situations helps you educate your employees effectively. Team training is a suitable option when you need to share the same information with multiple employees, but it doesn’t have to be your entire staff. It might be all employees in a certain position or your management team. They have something in common that makes the training a good fit for all invitees. Other topics are necessary for your full staff. Some examples of groups training topics include:

• New employee training
• Safety and compliance topics
• Harassment and discrimination
• Diversity and inclusion
• Customer service training for your customer-facing employees
• Leadership skills for your management team
• Soft skills, such as problem-solving and communication

Pros of groups training

When you’re considering various methods of employee training, comparing the pros and cons can help you evaluate the options. Group training can offer the following benefits:

• Consistency: Everyone receives the same training from the same instructor at the same time. This creates consistency in how the material is delivered and what the training covers. Individual training could vary depending on who delivers the training and how they’re feeling that day.
• Peer learning: Team training encourages colleagues to contribute and learn from one another. Someone might ask a question other people wouldn’t have thought of, which can give the entire group more information. Discussions during group training could expand learning and help other employees understand concepts better.
• Potentially lower costs: When you have a group of employees who all need the same training, it’s usually more cost-effective to deliver it all at once. The instructor only has to teach the material one time, so you’re not paying them to deliver multiple individual sessions.
• Time-efficient: A similar perk is the time savings you get from group instruction. You can cross off training for everyone in attendance in one session, instead of spending time on multiple individual training sessions. This allows your training staff to focus on other responsibilities.
• Efficient feedback: Delivering the training together makes it easier to collect feedback from your staff. You can conduct an employee survey at the end of the training and get a large amount of feedback all at once. It can also give you more effective feedback since everyone went through the same experience. With individual training, the experience can be completely different for every person, so the feedback could also be very different.
• Easier tracking: When everyone completes training at the same time, you can quickly document it for your employee records. You don’t have to track down individuals to make sure they do the training they’re required to complete.
• Team-building opportunity: Learning together can help build bonds within your teams. The shared experience can help them feel closer, and they go back to work with shared knowledge they can implement together. Group training can also help employees in different departments connect.

Cons of group training

Noting the potential challenges of group training gives you time to address them or find a work-around. Some of the cons of training your employees in a group setting include:

• Lack of customization: Group training typically takes one approach to teaching the material to keep the sessions straightforward. That allows for efficiency, but it doesn’t take into account the different learning styles and preferences your employees might have. Your employee development program might not be as effective for all employees if they aren’t receiving the types of learning they prefer.
• Distractions: When you get a large group of people together, you run the risk of distractions. Work friends who don’t see each other often might be tempted to chat, or the discussion could get off track. This can interfere with how well your employees learn. Keeping the training focused and engaging can reduce distractions.
• Decreased participation: Some groups of employees may ask lots of questions and have thoughtful discussions during training sessions while others may not be inclined to participate as much.Consider the personalities in the group to develop training that encourages everyone to participate.
• Scheduling conflicts: If you’ve ever tried to schedule a planned meeting with multiple people, you know how challenging it can be to coordinate schedules. The same is true for group training. Choosing a slower work time can make it easier.

Best practices for training in groups

If you’re ready to conduct group training sessions, these best practices can help you make them more effective:

• Have a clear objective: Every training should have specific objectives and clear learning outcomes. Keeping the learning focused makes it more efficient and helps your employees get the most out of the sessions.
• Think about your target audience : Identify who will attend the training and think about their specific needs and preferences. New employees are coming in with little background on the company, so your training should make them feel welcome and help them acclimate quickly, for example.
• Create session plans: Break down the training into smaller modules, and detail what you’ll cover in each section. This helps you cover the topic fully and stay on track.
• Incorporate multiple learning techniques: Varying the instructional method can help accommodate different learning styles. You might include a mix of lectures, group discussions, small-group projects, role-playing, demonstrations, case studies, quizzes and other learning tools.
• Offer take-home materials: Hand-outs, emailed transcripts or video recordings of the session provide the attendees with reference materials. Training sessions often involve lots of material and information at once, so your employees might want to go back and review what they learned later. Providing those references proactively encourages them to take charge of their learning.
• Encourage participation: Getting the trainees actively involved can help them retain the information better. Participating in discussions and asking questions offer ways for your team to get involved. However, not all employees feel comfortable with sharing in that way. Offer alternatives, such as a Slack channel for the training, where attendees can ask questions or continue the discussion.
• Include an evaluation: Reviewing your training sessions helps you assess how effective they are. Feedback directly from the participants can help you identify what you’re doing well and how you could improve your training program. Have a survey ready to go at the end of the training, so your team can complete it before they leave.

FAQs about group training

How do you make group training fun?

Tailor the training to the people in the group to implement strategies they might enjoy, such as humor, interactive lessons andtraining gamification. It can help to switch gears throughout the training, so your team isn’t just sitting and listening to the instructor the whole time. It can also help to offer little rewards or incentives throughout the training.

What is the most effective way to train your staff?

The most effective team training method depends on what you’re teaching and the needs of your staff. Group training might work well when several employees need to learn the same thing, while individual training could be more effective for technical skills that only one or two employees need to learn.

What are alternatives to team training?

Your employees can learn new skills in many ways. Mentorship programs allow informal learning from more experienced team members, and one-on-one training offers customized training for specific skills. Online, self-paced learning can be a cost-effective option.