The world of business is rapidly evolving with intense competition particularly those in the FMCG industry. Today, the FMCG industry is the fourth largest sector in the Indian Economy out of which, healthcare products constitute (31-32)% of the overall sales, and the remaining (18-19)% is for food and beverage products. Recognising the significance of employee efficiency and productivity, companies are now actively looking for different methods to enhance their workforce through rigorous training and development practices. Giving proper training to the team has become more important than now. It empowers employees with the necessary skills, knowledge, and capabilities to navigate the ever-changing landscape. Here are some key training and development points that every team should know. 

Upskill the team to adapt to the evolving world

FMCG companies must instil a culture of adaptability and innovation among teams. Numerous workplace training encourages a mindset of continuous learning and improvement. Helping the team to think out of the box can be highly beneficial for an organisation to innovate and respond effectively to market changes. This not only helps companies to stay ahead of the market but also helps them create a creative and innovative approach to problem-solving.

Streamline the supply chain management 

Efficient supply chain management forms the backbone of any successful enterprise. Therefore, training the team on supply chain management will emphasise the importance of streamlining the processes, logistics, and inventory management. This ensures that employees are equipped to optimise the flow of goods from production to distribution with cheaper costs and maximum efficiency.  

Deeper product knowledge & customer centric skills

Given the consumer-centric nature of the FMCG industry, it is important to train and develop teams in a way so that they can have a thorough understanding of the product they are dealing with. Apart from this, giving them proper training will also help them understand the preferences of the customers, offer excellent customer service, and make the team well-equipped to meet customer expectations. 

Leadership development and team building

Building a strong and effective team is extremely important for organisational success. Training employees to work as a team will help an organisation create a collaborative and communicative workplace culture. Also, leadership development programs can help the team and the company at various levels to take on leadership roles and enhance organisational resilience and adaptability. 

Initiate the ‘mystery shopper’ experiment

To assess the effectiveness of the training, many FMCG businesses take the initiative to conduct aggressive business management sessions for their employees. Companies invite a specialist in the form of a mystery shopper where they are asked to behave aggressively to see how their team handles the situation. And based on it the mystery shopper is asked to review how the aggressive situation was handled.

Customer feedback analysis

Customer feedback serves as a valuable indicator to understand how effective training and development has been. Implementing feedback mechanisms like customer surveys or Net Promoter Scores (NPS) can help companies analyse the performance of their team. Often sweet deals like cash vouchers, holiday vouchers, etc are attached to these surveys to attract customers. If only a few customers fill out the feedback through the promoter category then you can assume that employees aren’t fulfilling their jobs as expected. And if the customers are giving positive feedback then it can be linked back to the customer service training.  

The FMCG industry is an extremely competitive and demanding world that requires a strategic approach to training and development. By continuously investing in the learning and growth of teams, companies can create a workforce that is not only adept at handling current challenges but is also well-prepared for the future. Training and development programs that encompass product knowledge, sales and marketing expertise, supply chain management, adaptability, compliance, and leadership skills are crucial for building a strong and high-performing workforce.