Training and Engagement Go Hand in Hand

The Harsh Reality of Disengagement

According to Gallup's State of the American Workplace report, only 30% of the workforce in America is engaged. This means that 70% of the workforce nationwide is disengaged. The Gallup report estimates that disengagement in the workplace costs roughly $450-$550 billion a year within the United States.

How do you improve engagement in the workplace? Well, it starts off by providing your employees with solid training.

Why Training is Important

Employees are more engaged at work with they have the proper tools necessary to help them be successful in their jobs. Don't overlook the importance of employee training. The problem is that most business owners see training as an expense versus a long term investment in their employees. Employees who don't have the proper training under their belts tend to be disengaged at work. This disengagement stems from a lack of knowledge. Employees tend to feel powerless when they don't have the necessary knowledge to help them accomplish their goals.

Your company will experience a negative domino effect when there is a lack of training for your employees. Your company, employees, and your customers suffer when employees are disengaged. Disengaged employees provide sub-par customer service which greatly impacts customer retention. You'll have a hard time filling up the seats in your restaurant when the customer service is inadequate. This, in turn, leads to less profitability for your restaurant.

The Concept of the 5 I's

There is the belief that there are 5 I's that can be implemented into employee training efforts to help boost engagement. The 5 I's are listed below:

  1. Inspire
  2. Inform
  3. Instruct
  4. Involve
  5. Incent

Incorporating these into your employee training efforts will help engage your employees more. Don't underestimate the power of training your employees.

65% of employees say that the quality of training and learning opportunities they're given at work positively influence their engagement

Employees value training and the ability to grow within their positions, it's important to help your employees develop their skills so that they can progress within the business. Investing time and money into training your staff shows them that they're valued. It also communicates to them that you envision a spot for them within the company for the long run. When employees feel valued, it cultivates a stronger culture within your company.

Breaking Down the 5 I's

  1. Inspire - It's important that you share with your employees the vision of your organization, you want to communicate the bigger picture to them. Inspiring your employees can start during their initial onboarding process.
  2. Inform - Communicate with your employees the importance of their roles for the overall success of the business. Let them know that they're a critical member of the team and that they matter. This is when you communicate and emphasize their value to them.
  3. Instruct - It's important to provide proper training for your employees, you need to give them the skills to help them be successful in their jobs. Try using positive coaching with your employees, what we do know is that no one can get better at anything without having a coach. Give them some tips and tricks to help improve their performance, it's important though that this is done in a positive manner because negative coaching will lead to disengagement.
  4. Involve - Don't just manage your employees, be a leader who guides them throughout the whole process. This goes along with being a coach for them. When they encounter difficulties, lend a helping hand so that they know you're there for support.
  5. Incent - Praise and recognition go a long way with your employees, don't underestimate the value of these concepts. Employees feel more valued when their hard work is appreciated. As recognition increases, engagement does as well. Higher engagement leads to more productivity and a stronger sense of loyalty to the company.

If you want to have higher engagement among your employees, you have to start by providing them with training. It's important to note that employee training shouldn't be a one-time thing, but rather training should be provided on a regular basis. You can combat disengagement at your company by providing your employee with in-depth training which will give them more confidence in their abilities to do their jobs.