Are you looking for a new employee training method that contributes to employee success, is simple to implement, and produces results?

Employee training isn’t easy. It’s challenging hiring someone and having them adjust to a new role. Whether they have experience in the field or not, there is always a learning curve when starting any new position. Many people may struggle to adapt to new processes or tools – or even the work environment itself.

Employee training is critical when a new employee enters an organization. It sets the foundation for their future in the role.

The employee training pyramid addresses an employee’s needs based on how far along they are in their role within the organization.

Learn more about it below.

Employee Training: What You Need to Know About Pyramid Training

The employee training pyramid maps out how employees move up the training pyramid as they gain experience in an organization.

When employees first start in a company, they have minimal knowledge of the organization, its vision, processes, etc. They gain a better understanding of the processes and tools throughout the training. 

Although new employee training is essential, it is also critical to focus the same attention on different stages of the employee journey to ensure all employees are productive and efficient at every stage of their career.

The 4 Pyramid Training Levels

The four pyramid training levels consist of different training methods during various stages of an employee’s career.

1. Skill Acquisition

The first pyramid level is about teaching the employees the skills they need to learn in their role, which requires repetition. To fully grasp the new skill or process, the employee must consistently repeat it. During this level, you must be patient and take time to train the new employee.

To complete this first step, you must have procedures that adequately give employees the attention they need. You must also ensure that the person training them is the best for the job.

Be tolerant of mistakes as new employees become familiar with the new processes and tasks.

Level one is about teaching the employee to complete the task correctly. Once initial training is complete and the employee demonstrates competency in the role, you move on to the next level, which is about outcome and performance.

2. Performance Optimization

Your new employee is becoming more comfortable in their role, which means it’s time to start producing results. The employee now understands the tools and processes, and level two is about teaching them how to use the tools to deliver results.

Once employees develop the skills required for a specific role, they must learn how to take their skills and implement them. How do they go about their tasks? Where can they make improvements?

It is also critical to point out mistakes early before they become a habit. 

During this level, the employee learns how to effectively complete the task, which also entails teaching them complex uses for the process or tool.

3. Strategic Development

When approaching level three, the employee must fully understand the skills, processes, and tools required for the role. If they continue to struggle with any part of the role, you must address it before moving on to level three.

Level three focuses on the outcomes an employee is trying to attain instead of the tools themselves. This level is about expanding awareness and determining the best tools to achieve specific outcomes. Employees must use their judgment and experience to determine the best approach to producing results.

During this phase, the employee learns how to adapt to specific procedures and situations. They must use their newly learned skills and determine the best approach to fit a particular situation. The approach must be a strategic one. 

A strategic approach will help them develop in their role and become a bigger asset to your company.

Once an employee reaches this stage, they can focus on continual development – understanding what processes are best for specific tasks and how they can help the company achieve its goals.

4. Leadership

The leaders are at the top of the pyramid. Their purpose is to understand a company’s purpose and values – the ‘why’ behind what a company does.

Leaders set high-level company goals that are achieved throughout the lower levels of the pyramid. The leader creates the processes and structures employees follow to achieve these goals.

Leaders must think about how things are done in the company – from training to procedures, processes, and everything in between. Leaders play a huge role in designing the training process even if they are not actively participating in it.

Every company – big or small – has the four levels of pyramid training. It is critical to understand these pyramids throughout the entire employee training process. 

The training pyramid helps us better understand that training is a continuous process. There are always new skills to learn and processes to adapt to throughout every part of the training process. 

Training is critical to business success, which is why you should consistently make changes to your training process to ensure that employees at each level of the pyramid can help the company achieve its goals.

ACTivate HR is Driven to Help Your Business Succeed

We work with clients to help them reach the best outcome for their organizations. We pride ourselves on designing human resources strategies that improve organizations, accelerate productivity, and create a collaborative and supportive culture. If you need assistance with any of your HR needs, we can help. Contact us today to learn more.

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