The ability to take advantage of on-the-job training is an important part of the employee experience. In a recent report, an overwhelming 94% of employees said they would be more likely to stay at a company that invested in training, and 70% said they would be willing to leave that company if better employee development opportunities were available elsewhere.
Training rooms are your company’s investment and dedication to employee development, upskilling, and on-the-job training. To get the most out of your training room, follow the number one rule: employee-centric design.
What Is Employee-Centric Design?
Employee-centric design, or human-centric design, is an approach that centers on employee needs in the office design and space planning process.
Maximize the Value of Your Training Room
According to a study conducted by the International Journal of Human Resource Management, “training appears to be an effective measure to keep qualified employees at the employer and counteract the impending shortage of skilled workers and loss of human and social capital.”
What kind of return can you expect from investing in your training space? According to the same study:
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Training can increase overall retention by up to 14%.
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Training visibility (which includes the creation and maintenance of a training space) can decrease turnover by 2.5%.
But not all training rooms are created equal. Training rooms that prioritize employee-centric design will help maximize their value.
Using employee-centric design to rethink your organization’s training space also offers several more qualitative benefits. It can:
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Make change management more effective
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Improve office culture and worker morale
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Help your business prepare for the future
3 Elements of Employee-Centric Design for Training Rooms and Spaces
When starting a training room design project, these 4 tips will help you get the most out of your new or revamped training room.
Choose a Layout That Supports Learning and Engagement
Pick a floor plan that matches your company’s training initiatives. Will your training space be used primarily for workshops and upskilling, team building and leadership development, onboarding, or something else? Presentations may benefit most from a classroom-style or theater layout. Seminars may be best suited by a U-shaped layout, allowing everyone to see the instructor while also maintaining a layout that promotes lively discussion and engagement. Workshops and team building sessions may be best supported by a pod-style layout.
Need a training space that can do it all? Look for flexible furniture solutions like mobile training tables, presentation boards, and nesting chairs.
Inclusivity
Make sure your training room is designed to help workers stay engaged and attentive and ensure your space has been designed to meet the physical and mental needs of employees. Make the space accessible for participants with disabilities by including a variety of seating options, like ADA-compliant tables with moveable seating.
Comfortable, Flexible Chairs
Training sessions can last for extended periods of time. Make sure to offer workers comfortable, adjustable chairs. This will help them stay focused on the topic at hand. Many training room chairs are designed with comfort and flexibility/storage in mind— including features like a padded seat and mesh back in addition to casters (which allow them to move easily) and nesting/stacking for compact storage.
Next-Level Your Office Training Room
Employee-centric design is just one of several training room design best practices. Get even more, plus details on how a well-designed training room can provide business value with the guide.
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