Page Updated on September 9, 2023
As a freelance corporate trainer, you might be wondering exactly what type of employee training companies want and are looking for? What is in demand? What is topical and what training are businesses willing to pay for you to provide workshops in for their staff?
Page Contents
1. Training for New and First-Time Managers
One of the key areas in which we see demand, in respect of employee training, is for training that helps new and first-time managers.
The success or failure of managers can have a powerful effect on how a company itself does.
Many new managers work their way through the ranks of a business and, whilst their knowledge about the company and its services can be very high, the knowledge of management techniques and practices are often missing.
Poorly trained managers can result in:
- High staff turnover as unhappy employees who are badly managed leave the company
- Less productivity than what might otherwise be possible
There are certain skills that can greatly aid new managers and these include:
- Dealing with Difficult People – managers, by the nature of their role, need to be good at managing others and this includes difficult-to-manage people (and difficult-to-manage situations).
- Managing Virtual Teams – is an increasingly useful topic for teaching managers. Many employees are now working in distributed teams (working from anywhere) and skills in virtual management are thus becoming increasingly useful and relevant.
- Delegation Skills – have always been vital for managers but this remains forever important. Good delegation skills are often lacking and this can have a profound effect on how effectively or not employees are being managed.
2. Increasing Demand for EDI Training
If you are looking for a niche topic area to move into as a freelance corporate trainer, the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion training topics (also known as EDI training) is increasingly in demand.
We are all aware these days of the need to make workplaces fair, enjoyable places to work, and inclusive.
Titles such as these are, we are finding, particularly in demand:
- Implicit Bias training – where employees are taught to be more aware of their own natural prejudices and ways of doing things and of thinking. This is especially useful for management training but is certainly good for all employees.
- Inclusion Training – Certain staff can often be left out, whether it be because of their ethnicity, age, looks, disability, or for a number of reasons. Inclusion training is extremely useful in trying to create a work environment in which no one is excluded. Human Resource departments are becoming more aware of the need for Inclusion training.
3. Compliance Training
Compliance training continues to be a great opportunity for a trainer.
With this type of training though it is essential to ensure that you know any legalities around the compliance topic you are teaching.
These topics are certainly great to offer as a trainer and in demand for employee training:
- Conflicts of Interest
- Information Security
- Social responsibility
- Ethical Leadership
4. Teaching Mentoring Skills for the Workplace
Coaching and mentoring can be such an invaluable way to create a much more positive vibe in your workplace and on a number of levels.
Mentoring in the workplace can mean:
- staff having the opportunity to gain new skills
- better teamwork as different colleagues help and guide each other
- improved job satisfaction for both the learner and the mentor
- the chance to bridge generational diversity issues in the workplace as different generations learn to work together and to help each other.
5. New Hire Staff Training
Providing some form of training for newly hired staff is always an extremely good idea to ensure that the new employees benefit from learning about:
- the company’s goals, mission statement, and culture
- who the other departments are and who the key points of contact are (usually a walk around to introduce the new staff member to other staff can help)
- guidance on holidays (vacation), absence, and other workplace policies that they should be aware of
6. Team Building Training
For any company that has more than a handful of employees, team-building training is always worth considering.
Let’s face it. The ability of staff, team leaders, and managers to work together is always going to be vital for good communication. Good communication in itself leads to a:
- happier workplace
- a more productive workplace
- a work environment with improved emotional intelligence levels
The benefits of team building can certainly outweigh the time and financial costs of running a half-day or even a full-day team-building session.
>> See the Free team Building activities you can use
7. Specific Job Skills
Without question, there will be the need to provide very specific on-the-job training and this can vary greatly such as providing:
- computer skills including managing certain software such as payroll software
- sales skills
- front-end customer service skills
- telephone skills (such as for telephone sales and customer service)
- mentoring skills
- assertiveness skills
- or other very specific skills related to a job role
8. Safety Training
Whether you are working in an office, working at home (and using a work laptop), or working in another location for a company, safety training is normally still important.
Fire safety training, for example, is something that it is worth providing for all employees and covers key points regarding:
- Understanding the fire triangle
- Exactly what to do in the event of a fire
- Types of fire.
- The different types of fire extinguishers and their use
9. Shadowing
Shadowing can be a surprisingly effective tool for learning and development in the workplace.
This technique involves literally following another person’s shadow for a set amount of time meaning that you follow someone for a day or week and watch and learn from them.
Shadowing is a fantastic way to get an insight and a feel for how to do a certain job role.
It is a chance to gain a great understanding of who the people involved are in the job role, what tools are needed, and it provides you an insight rather than actual experience.
Related training course materials
Imposter Syndrome Training Course Materials for the Workplace
Use these course materials to help staff, managers and organizations become aware of and deal with imposter syndrome at work.
Time Management Training Package
Time is something we could all do with more of in business. This is a very popular training package to teach!
Mindfulness at Work (for Busy People) Training Materials: Short Course
Training materials providing all you need, as a trainer, to teach a short course on practical mindfulness in the workplace and for busy people.
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