Why Staff Training Is Vital - New Natural Business

Health Food Institute: Why staff training is vital

Alison Collingwood
Administrator, Health Food Institute

The owners of most health food stores recognise the need to invest in some form of structured training for their staff, not least to satisfy the legal requirements of selling natural health products, and to demonstrate a degree of due diligence in respect of health and safety at work or food safety legislation.

It is important not to underestimate the impact that employees who interact with customers can have on promoting and representing your business. Each year, even a part-time staff member is potentially handling hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities to build future sales – or reduce them.

This is why training for all staff members is such a good investment – it brings real improvements in customer service, and specialist skills will increase the number of sales that are generated by helpful, holistic advice and good product knowledge. The lifetime revenue stream of a loyal customer base can be huge.

Members of staff you consider for training need to be consulted and informed about the details of any training scheme you want to introduce. This would probably have taken place at their job interview and be written into a contract of employment, so they are clear from the outset that they will be expected to do some training.

Consistency of leadership on the part of store owners/managers is crucial. If staff training is high on the agenda of the retailer, and this point is communicated from the top down, training will be a concerted effort rather than a fleeting endeavour.

Stores often allocate a senior member of staff to act as a training mentor to keep things on track and keep up with who is doing what and when. If requested, HFI can provide regular updates on your candidates to help you with this. Some form of encouragement is always necessary, and most employees will respond to this and the support that a training mentor provides.

Once enrolled on a course, a clearly defined timescale allows everyone involved to know what is expected of them and for their progress to be monitored. If you have a member of staff on the HFI Diploma they will approach their study in a much more structured way if they are working towards a target completion date for each of the course modules.

Most staff will need to commit to doing online training in their own time. Studying from home tends to suit most people because each of us learns at a different pace, and you are free to work at the time that suits you best. Employers may be able to help them with their course by taking advantage of naturally occurring opportunities throughout the week. For example, if you have 10-20 minutes in the day when you are not too busy, you might provide a quiet place for a staff member so they can get on with reading through some of their course text, or doing one of their online module assessments.

Those who are eager to learn will make time and enjoy working through each module with the prospect of achieving the recognition a certificate and diploma give when completed. Having their Certificates displayed in-store is something staff will really appreciate following their hard work, and the store will benefit too with the added gravitas of customers being able to see that your store has knowledgeable, well-trained staff.

Some members of the team can be obstinately resistant to the idea of any training. Some will be frustrated that they are being trained on something they feel they already know, others may even be offended that they have been asked to do a course when they have been working there for some time. There may also be reluctance for staff to commit to home study without there being a clear incentive for them to do so.

For these reasons, some stores give their staff a solid financial incentive such as a lump sum and a pay increase on completion of a course. Although pay is usually the most important staff motivator, other incentives that can have a good motivational impact may also include preference on a rota, treats, pampering, meals or complimentary products.

Another important motivator when you put someone on a training course is to regularly enquire how they are getting on and encourage and praise them in front of everyone at every opportunity. Good employers understand the importance of providing employees with opportunities for their personal and professional growth, and most employees will see the training as the business helping their future prospects.

The HFI is a professional and independent body for training and standards in the health food industry. For more information on HFI Courses, visit www.healthfoodinstitute.org, email [email protected] or phone Alison on 0115 9234534.