Role-based training is gaining increasing attention in the learning and development landscape among businesses. Training and upskilling your employees are crucial to making sure they can complete a range of crucial tasks in an evolving landscape.
However, many common training initiatives don’t provide staff members with a way to practice their skills in the right context. This is where role based training shines.
What is Role Based Training?
Role-based training is a specific kind of learning process which involves positioning employees in role-playing scenarios, where they can develop specific skills. The educational approach focuses on considering the specific tasks or challenges an employee will face each day, and providing them with the practical skills they’ll need to thrive.
For instance, in a sales-based training environment, role-based learning could involve engaging staff members in a role-playing scenario where they’re asked to try and sell something to a “customer”. A manager or trainer could play the role of a customer, presenting common objections to sales pitches, while the trainee uses various techniques to try and complete the sale.
Role-Based Training Goals
Role-based awareness training and role-based training in general is intended to prepare employees to deal with real-world situations where they may need to put their skills to the test. It’s an alternative to a learning process which focuses on teaching theory alone.
With role-based training, educators aim to:
Show employees what a specific workplace scenario will look and feel like
Help staff members develop confidence in their skills
Allow team members to practice different techniques
Provide feedback to guide the development of specific talents
Prepare employees to deal with common challenges
Engage employees in the process of learning
Why Do Companies Use Role-Based Training?
Role-based training is a common choice in many businesses where employees are going to be dealing with specific scenarios on a daily basis. It’s particularly useful when training team members on how to deal with customers, partners, and shareholders, as it allows them to practice their conversational skills, and develop confidence in different situations.
Role based training can reduce the risk of customer complaints by introducing employees to potential issues they might face before they enter the workforce. It can also allow learning and development managers to customize the learning material according to the needs of each employee.
As team members progress through the training process, the learning provider can also adapt the learning scenarios to harness the strengths of the employee, and overcome their weaknesses.
Role Based Training Benefits
Role-based training is an engaging approach to learning ideal for teaching specific skills to certain members of staff. It’s a practical approach to helping employees to visualize themselves in specific scenarios, so they can develop both the technical and soft skills necessary to succeed.
The most significant role-based training benefits include:
Enhanced problem-solving skills: Role-based training places your employees within a dramatized situation where they need to solve problems quickly and adapt to different scenarios. This ensures they can not only put their talents to the test, but also develop their ability to respond to various challenges under pressure.
Personalized learning: With role-based training, learning providers can focus on the specific needs of each employee, and the tasks they’ll need to complete each day. The personalized approach means you can more easily address the unique learning needs of each employee, and improve their chances of succeeding in your workforce.
Higher engagement: Often seen as a gamified approach to learning, role-based training is an interactive and exciting experience. It can be a lot of fun in the right circumstances and can encourage greater engagement and interest than most theory-based learning strategies. When employees are more engaged in the learning experience, they’re more likely to retain the information shared with them.
Low cost: Role-based training is often a lot less expensive than paying for software programs or specific resources to train your team members. It allows you to access all the advantages of an interactive training experience, without the higher costs associated with modern technology like XR or VR training.
Identifying strengths and weaknesses: Because managers and supervisors are often involved in the training process, they have a great opportunity to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their rising stars as they learn. You can pinpoint the issues your employees struggle most with, and implement learning strategies designed specifically to address those issues.
Role-based training could be one of the best ways to upgrade your training and development initiatives for the new age of sales.
