Is Training Moving Your System Forward or Holding it Back?

When building a training platform, separate what specific information must be conveyed to new franchisees immediately, and what new franchisees should learn over time. Dividing these components will allow franchisees to better retain information and more effectively execute roles and responsibilities. 

By Steve White

A strong quarter for franchise development is always great news for franchisors. A new crop of franchisees at Meet the Team Day means the system is growing and the brand is gaining momentum. Everyone is happy.

Then, the most critical stage begins: training. All franchises, whether in the food, home services, education, fitness or B2B sectors, require robust and effective training to set new franchisees up for success. And while training has evolved greatly in recent years, it must continue to evolve and take advantage of myriad new ways of developing and delivering new content.  

As technology has advanced and average attention spans have decreased, a trainer standing at the front of a room droning on with a PowerPoint presentation no longer qualifies as “training.” We have to embrace a new approach where a combination of online, hands-on interactive and traditional classroom training come together.

Consider these three key steps to improving your training program:

Step One: Identify the Training Problem

When locations fail or underperform, we must examine our training. We should step back and look at our training programs as a potential source of the problem. 

For PuroClean, whose services involve fire and water damage restoration, mold removal, and bio-hazard clean-up, providing training in both the operational and technical aspects of the business can be a complex task. We evaluated our training program and decided to improve it by implementing a 30-day pre-training program that introduces new franchisees to the industry. 

We also introduced interactive elements, such as simulating a real-life disaster. PuroClean has an industry-certified house within our state-of-the-art training facility which we flood with hundreds of gallons of water. This gives us the ability to demonstrate proper clean-up, drying and restoration methods. 

This has not only improved training, but become an important differentiation factor in the industry. It ensured that our new franchisees already had hands-on experience before receiving their first job in the real world. 

In addition, online and mobile training elements, as well as expanded field training, have been added to the mix, creating a comprehensive training program that has yielded tremendous, measurable results for the system. 

Step Two: Identify short and long-term training needs 

Before introducing new training, franchisors must identify their key end goals. Cordell Riley, founder and president of Tortal Training, offers the following advice: “Franchisors should ask themselves, ‘What are we trying to move the needle on within our organization? Is it sales, NPS (Net Promoter) scores, product quality, or improved people management practices?’”

Not everything learned in a classroom environment can be retained for implementation in the field. When building a training platform, it is important to separate what specific information must be conveyed to a new franchisee immediately, and what the new franchisee should be learning over time. Dividing these two core training components will allow franchisees to better retain information and execute their roles and responsibilities within the business in a more effective manner.

Beyond initial training, we must implement a follow-up program that includes regular monthly meetings with regional directors and support teams throughout their first year. In some cases, support directors can stay with individual franchisees longer, depending on the case. We hold a meeting every month where we discuss the progress of every franchisee in their first year in our company. This helps us to analyze our expectations and reinforce training where necessary. It also helps us to identify future improvements to our training.

Step Three: Measure 

Finally, to determine if a training program is driving desired results, develop metrics and tools that will allow for real-time tracking of results, which will enable leaders to address any issue at any time and make necessary changes.

It is important to note that all of these principles are just as important for franchisees as they are for franchisors. We recently provided our franchisees with 10-minute training sessions that they can use with their employees each day to keep their skills sharp.

Because the training needs of franchise systems are unique, consult with industry peers about enlisting a company that specializes in developing and improving training programs specifically for franchise organizations. Look for suppliers who are International Franchise Association members with track records and case studies of helping franchise brands in a variety of different scenarios.

If an investment in new training is needed, it’s well worth it — with huge returns that benefit all parties.

Steve White is the president and chief operating officer of PuroClean. Find him at fransocial.franchise.org.