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5 Tips for Creating Compelling Content and Building Consistency in Training
6 minute read
Effective employee training goes beyond just creating content—it’s about crafting experiences that resonate with your team and are easy to access. With so many distractions in today’s digital world, employees often struggle to absorb and retain information. That’s where a thoughtful and structured approach to training comes in.
Compelling content is essential, but so is ensuring that your training is housed in a single source of truth—where employees can easily access it, receive consistent messaging, and stay engaged.
Here are five tips to help you create a training program that not only engages but also builds consistency across your organization.
1. Embrace Digital, But Keep It Real
The digital transformation in training has accelerated in recent years. The pandemic pushed companies of all sizes to quickly adopt digital tools for learning. While digital training is convenient and scalable, the key challenge is making it feel personal. Employees today crave authenticity. They don’t want to feel like they’re watching something scripted or impersonal. Compelling content isn't about high-budget videos—it's about showing up as real people.
Tip: Keep your content short, sweet, and authentic. There's no need for over-polished, scripted production. Use your phone to record quick, on-the-go clips, showing real situations that your employees can relate to. Better yet, tap into your team and crowdsource content by encouraging them to share their own experiences. By doing this, you create a human connection that resonates far more than a flashy video ever could.
2. Provide a Single Source of Truth
In fast-paced work environments, having clear and consistent messaging across the company is crucial. Employees often find themselves confused when different people or locations have their own take on procedures and training methods. This lack of clarity can lead to mistakes, lack of trust, retention issues, and ultimately poor customer experiences. By housing all your training materials and resources in one central place, you not only eliminate confusion but also ensure that employees always know where to find the most up-to-date information. With version control and a single location for all necessary resources, you create a sense of reliability and transparency.
Tip: Consolidate your training materials into one easy-to-navigate employee enablement platform. Employees should know exactly where to go when they need to access training content, procedures, or updates. Having a single source of truth streamlines communication and ensures everyone is on the same page, which in turn fosters trust and engagement.
3. Consistency is Key—Not Just Across Locations, But Within Them
When we think about consistency in training, we often focus on ensuring different locations follow the same processes. But it’s just as important to ensure that consistency is maintained within a single location. For example, the experience should be the same for employees working the morning shift as it is for those on the night shift. When employees encounter varying expectations based on who is leading their training or when it’s being delivered, it can cause confusion and undermine the message.
Tip: Standardize your training processes to make sure they're consistent across shifts, locations, and leaders. Establishing a well-organized framework for training ensures that no matter when or where employees engage with the content, they’re receiving the same information and instructions. This consistency also sets clear expectations, making it easier for employees to succeed.
4. Mix High Production with Real-Life Stories
While high-production training videos and professional courses have their place, nothing builds trust like real-life stories from your team. The best training is often a combination of polished materials and raw, unfiltered experiences. When employees hear directly from their peers about how they’ve navigated challenges or succeeded in certain situations, it makes the learning experience more relatable and grounded in reality. This balance helps bridge the gap between formal learning and everyday experience.
Tip: Incorporate both high-production content and user-generated stories. Feature your employees, capturing their personal stories and real-life examples. Whether it’s a video of an employee explaining how they handled a difficult guest or a photo showing a team working together, these personal moments bring authenticity to the training and help employees connect on a deeper level.
5. Create a Culture of Continuous Learning and Feedback
Training shouldn’t end after an onboarding session or one-time course. In fact, one of the most important aspects of an effective training program is the ongoing reinforcement of key concepts. Employees need regular reminders, feedback, and opportunities to refresh what they’ve learned. A culture of continuous learning ensures that employees not only absorb new information but also retain and apply it. With regular check-ins, micro-learning sessions, and feedback loops, employees can stay engaged and feel supported as they grow.
Tip: Implement a rhythm of regular, bite-sized learning sessions and feedback loops. This could include sending out brief reminders, offering quick tune-ups, or creating micro-training content that reinforces previous lessons. By weaving learning into the day-to-day, you create an environment where employees feel continuously supported and ready to apply their knowledge.
By following these five tips, you can build a training program that not only attracts and retains employees but also keeps them engaged and motivated. Remember, the best training programs aren’t just about delivering content—they’re about creating a consistent, authentic, and continuous learning experience.
Want to dive deeper into these strategies? Jason Berkowitz, founder of Arrow Up Training, joined our Wise Tales podcast. Check out his full episode for more insights into compelling content and leadership development.
