Whether it be related to manufacturing, quality, food safety or management principles, training is an incredibly important part of a facility’s successful operations.
By Adam C. Fahrenholz, Wilmer Pacheco and Charles Stark
Summer months at our universities are often full of training, through both formal courses and conferences and informal conversations with facilities as we travel in between the teaching, research, outreach and administrative responsibilities of the spring and fall semesters. Whether it be related to manufacturing, quality, food safety or management principles, training is an incredibly important part of a facility’s successful operations. And so, with that in mind, we’re borrowing from a topic originally discussed in this space in 2014, empowering employees through training. All animal food manufacturing facilities should have effective training protocols in place. This is important in order to comply with regulations, to mitigate safety and economic risks, and to provide employees with knowledge that they can use to improve performance in their current role as well as to grow and develop professionally. Any effective training program should include both instruction and documentation, and should include all relevant areas of production, from order entry to delivery, from employee safety to customer service. And while training takes time and effort, it truly is an investment worth making. Consider the current labor market and it is painfully evident that anything we can do to retain employees will probably have a pretty good ROI. It is also interesting to consider that the most indispensable employees on payroll in a facility may very well be the least paid. They are the ones doing the day-to-day tasks that can’t be delayed and are often the first line of defense when it comes to communicating that a problem has occurred and asking for help from upper management. If they are not there or fail to be observant and communicate effectively, the chance of catching mistakes in time to stop the process or make a correction is greatly reduced. Of course, the highest paid management staff also have a significant impact on facility success due to the decisions they are required to make and the processes they oversee. While training at this level looks different, it is no less valuable in order to build a successful operation. Therefore, it is important to train all members of the team and to fully utilize all of the available resources to develop effective programs.
Programs should be developed based on job and training requirements of the employee. The learning styles of the employees should also be taken into consideration and a variety of delivery methods may be employed, all while ensuring that employees are given enough time to complete their training. Employees are more apt to be successful throughout their training when specific time is allotted and/or they are given the opportunity to interact with other participants. On-line training can be an efficient method of delivery, but generally must include some sort of interaction or assessment (e.g., quizzes, follow up discussions, practical examination) to ensure comprehension of the content presented in the training. Advances in training media and platforms have improved the ability to offer web-based training to individuals and groups. In comparison to earlier book and videotape methods, training can be more customized and dynamic. Additionally, the use of animation, virtual blackboards and other innovative media make trainings more interesting and lead to an overall greater impact. Three common web-based training methods are webinars, training “toolboxes,” and comprehensive on-line courses. Webinars are now quite familiar to most of us due to a global pandemic and other travel restrictions, and are generally good platforms for presentations to large groups. The fact that webinars can be hosted by multiple individuals, include multiple media types, and be recorded for further dissemination are all significant advantages. Training “toolboxes,” which are often a group of single-topic presentations, are popular for self-paced new employee and safety training. Presentations are typically a mix of audio-over-slide and video, and often include quiz questions throughout or at the end to evaluate employee comprehension. Documentation of the training is automatically generated, satisfying recordkeeping requirements and allowing supervisors to monitor progress and comprehension. Systems using these methods are also useful because they can automatically generate reminders when training needs to be re-taken after a certain period of time. The most robust on-line trainings are multi-topic “courses” housed within a learning management system (LMS). Topics may be presented as audio-over-slide, recordings of a live classroom session, or a number of other multimedia methods. Because instructors can upload electronic or scanned documents, provide access to relevant web assets, include or link to videos or other media, and capture on-screen notations, these trainings tend to be the most interactive and useful for complex topics and those specifically targeted for professional development. Trainings may also include short assignments as well as quizzes, allowing for more flexibility in the evaluation of employees. Perhaps the greatest advantage of any of the platforms described is the ability to collect data on users’ preferences and performance and then implement changes relatively quickly. This dynamic evolution is key to developing and providing the feed industry with the training it requires. While there are a number of opportunities to engage with training developed by regulatory agencies, trade associations, universities, and private training organizations, educational programs can be created and accomplished internally as well. This could be through dedicated and customized training programs, or through open conversations that allow employees to ask relevant questions and get direct answers. Regardless of the method, making sure employees are engaged in training and that they understand why it is important is the key to empowering them to use the information for their own good and the good of the facility. When employees believe they are adding value, simply because they know why something is done in a certain way, they will almost certainly be more likely to buy in to the goals the training set out to establish and meet.
