Challenges Training Frontline Workers

Training new employees is standard across all industries, and in industry sectors such as food, it can mean the difference between safe and unsafe practices. In the food industry, GFSI requirements dictate a multitude of training activities. In the U.S., regulatory requirements like the FDA’s Preventive Controls Rule require two training activities for all employees:

• Food Hygiene
• Food Safety

Beyond GFSI and regulatory requirements, there are several reasons why companies need to train their employees:

• To achieve organizational innovation
• To achieve enhanced organizational and operational creativity and flexibility to meet customer/market needs
• To achieve operational cross-functional capability

Challenges with cultural influences and employee turnover can affect a company’s ability to train its front-line workforce effectively.

Cultural Influences 

Culture is a state of mind with accepted customs and “ways of life.” Language, life conditions, previous employment, and prior learning experiences make up what we know as culture. Culture touches on a national mentality that may interfere with multi-cultural interaction and organizational performance. These factors may influence social and cultural assimilation in multi-cultural environments. 

Turnover 

Employee turnover is a fact that all companies experience, no matter the industry. However, high employee turnover results in a waste of time, money, and resources. While eliminating employee turnover is impossible, reducing turnover early in the onboarding and training process improves overall training effectiveness. 

Training Success

How do you address these factors so that your employees find success and are effectively trained? 

Here are some strategies for fostering an environment of learning, support, and empowerment through on-the-job training.  

• Pair a seasoned team leader or veteran employee with a new trainee or small group of trainees. This allows the trainer to continuously discuss topics relative to the trainees’ position with increasing content complexity.
• Provide continuous training. Continuous training should build on job experience and past training.
• Don’t overload on Day 1. Begin training with what is absolutely necessary for job performance and safety. Day 1 training should primarily focus on the mechanics, such as hand washing, donning and doffing, and workplace safety.
• Use videos as a tool for training, not as a replacement for a trainer. Videos should help employees make connections between what is on the video and what they’ll be doing on a day-to-day basis. 
• Don’t just train on theory (knowledge). Combine theory with procedures being observed and practiced for better retention.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for training frontline employees, take the time and effort to identify the best strategy for your organization and employees.