The Effective Employee Representative – Role & Skills Training

packed full of valuable hints, tips, advice and guidance for to help Employee Reps perform better in role.

Our, effective employee representative – role & skills training, helps workforce representatives understand their duties and enhance their skills, skills that are needed to be highly effective in role.

The training is fast paced. It helps, employee/staff/workforce representatives understand their role, better and helps embeds a positive and productive culture. It  provides a raft of hints, tips and guidance to help employee representatives carry out their duties more effectively.  

It is important to remember that the representation role often presents a different set of challenges, duties and responsibilities to the representatives’ “day job”. Consequently Representatives at all levels benefit from this training and its associated team building benefits. 

Effective employee representation plays a critical link between staff and management, helping both to understand the others’ views and perspectives.  This, especially in times of turbulence, growth or change, enables a far higher quality of planning and decision-making; helps keep staff informed, on-board and committed to the latest business development and efficiency strategies.  The role of is seldom an easy one. Individuals, the workforce as a whole and the business itself often have very different needs and priorities.  Employee’s representatives need to remain enthusiastic, show loyalty to all and always presenting the differing positions in a positive way.

Who is this training COURSE for?

This training is for new, potential or recently elected employee representatives from all business types and sectors. It also acts as a refresher for existing employee representatives or a way to re-energise a waning staff forum

CONTENT

1    The Role of the Employee Representative

  • Objectives of Employee Representation and associated Forums
  • Role and duties of Employee Representatives
    • Role description
    • The duties and activities representatives are not usually involved in

2     Context and Structures

  • The drivers behind the growth of Employee Representation
  • Structures for effective Employee Representation
  • The benefits on offer for both employers & employees
  • The role of ACAS
  • Consultation V Negotiation – which, when and why
  • When Consolation is required by Law – Collective Consultation, H&S, Contracts, Redundancy, TUPE

3      Employee Representation Schemes and Structures

This session explores the workings of typical employee representation schemes in more detail including, where appropriate, the prevailing situation within the client’s organisation.

  • The four typical models

  • The general model or where appropriate client specific model
  • Operating protocols
  • Procedures – the “constitution” or “rule book”
    • Management responsibilities
    • Representation arrangements
    • Terms of Office and Eligibility
    • Time allocated to employee representatives – meetings and preparation
    • Topics for discussion and what is not usually up for discussion
    • Confidentiality

4      Attending and Participating in Meetings

  • Preparation
  • 16 Points to remember
  • 9 key planning steps
  • 10 Things to avoid
  • Meeting Structures and process – a step-by-step guide

 5   Personal Awareness and Development

Session 5 encourages participants to think more about the duties they will be involved in and the skills they will need for success in role.   This session acts as an introduction for session 6 “Skills for Success” it does not provide any hints, tips or advice on skills development but the provides a useful break point when should the course be delivered in two separate sessions

6   Skills for Success

This final session lasts about 3 hours, it explores the personal skills and behaviours that help employee representatives be more successful in role.  It includes a raft of hints tips and guidance on good practice, which are fully transferable to other situations

  • Excellent communication skills and listening skills
  • Confident in public speaking (speaking in front of groups of people including managers)
  • Ability to motivate and influence

In exploring the above the session includes a focus on:

  • Communication

    • active listening
    • observational skills
    • body language: posture, gestures, tone, voice, use of words

  • Questioning techniques

    • closed, open, supplementary, probing, hypothetical

  • Influencing others

    • Assertive – Aggressive – Passive – Passive/Aggressive Behaviour
    • Six techniques to deal with difficult situations

  • Negotiation

    with a reminder that much of the role is consultation not negotiation

    • The five key stages in any negotiation situation
    • planning your approach in meetings
    • knowing how and when to intervene

  • Reporting Back and Public Speaking

  • Planning and Organisational Skills

    • Being Proactive – able to seek out the views of all staff represented
    • Organised – able to ensure the views of most of the service area group are sought prior to and after meetings

FEEDBACK - EXAMPLE COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS DELEGATES

Please Note: We always respect client privacy and confidentiality. We do not collate any identifiable delegate information on our course feedback forms. We only publish comments where express permission for marketing and promotional use, has been given.  The majority of delegates do not give this permission.

  • “Not a fan of all day training but this was brilliant”
  • “Very Informative”
  • “Very Engaging”
  • “Very effective will be able to take away and use”
  • “made me more confident”
  • “Much better than the original ACAS training”
  • “Excellent”
  • “First Class Training”
  • “A good amount of time spent on the various parts of the course”
  • “Well presented and very informative”
  • “Real examples, case studies case law” 
  • “Very Interesting cases to listen to – made it an engaging day”
  • “Excellent Day”
  • “Well rounded content”

MORE TRAINING COURSES FOR EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTATIVES

Employee Representation Training - person writing a staff meeting notice
Employee Rep Training
Employee Representative - CPD Training Courses
Role and Skills Training
Role & Employment Law
Introduction to Role - 3 hour
Employment Legislation
Redundancy Training
TUPE Training
"Individual Consultation"
Consultation Good Practice
Practical Consultation - Changes to Contracts
Practical Consultation - Pensions
Pay & Benefit Discussions
Setting Up Employee Representation & Forums

Employee Representation Reference Guides

These guides are provided free of charge to help make your employee representation forum more effective. Our Employee Representation training courses explore and build on these to help you improve quality and effective even further.  

Employee Representation Models

When introducing Employee Representation, the first thing that needs to be considered is the scope and structure that best meets the needs of the business. This guide explores 4 typical structures.

Employee Representation Forum Constitutions

This reference document outlines typical rules & arrangements for effective Employee Representation Forums. It includes hints and tips on employee representation forum structures rules and boundaries

Advocacy Model – 10 tips for Difficult  Meetings

In non-unionised organisations employee representatives are often tasked with providing advocacy and mentoring support to staff. These meetings can be complex and demanding. This short article provides 10 useful hints and tips to make any meeting go smoothly

What Makes an Employee Representative Effective?

Employee Representatives are usually elected by the people they represent, the workforce. They are often elected on willingness to stand or popularity. What can the employer do to help them perform well in role and help develop business success.  This guides provides some ideas. 

Employee Representative Role Descriptor

An Employee Representative Role Descriptor Template. To maximise the effectiveness of any Employee Representative it is important that those standing, voting and appointing representatives understand the role and what it involves. The Role Descriptor play a critical part in achieving this.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about this Training

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, feel free to contact our support team.

Why should you use Concrew Training?

  • Specialist HR, Employment Law & Compliance training provider
  • We reference to official Government bodies such as ACAS, ICO, EHRC
  • Content tailored to your policies and procedures
  • CPD certificates included
  • 12 months of post-course support
  • UK-wide delivery
  • Online and face-to-face options
  • Open and transparent pricing

What information is available on course content?

We publish detailed course overviews for all courses. These provide indicative content based on the course learning plans. Final content is tailored to each client’s individual requirements.

What other information is available on individual courses?

Free reference guides and resources to help employers evaluate training quality and improve workplace compliance

Can you include our company policies and procedures in the training?

Yes. We actively encourage this approach. Including your policies and procedures helps demonstrate how, where, and why good practice applies within your organisation. This contextualises the learning, improves engagement, and increases the practical value of the training. There is no additional charge for incorporating your policies and procedures.

How long do Concrew Training courses last?

  • Standard courses: 6 hours of learning (approx. 7 hours including breaks)
  • Condensed 3-hour sessions available
  • Extended sessions or multi-day programmes available

How many people can attend each course?

  • Online courses: up to 15 participants
  • Face-to-face courses: up to 20 participants
  • Whole workforce awareness sessions: available for larger groups

Where does Concrew Training deliver training?

  • Online: via your preferred video conferencing platform (Zoom, Teams, etc.) across the UK
  • Face-to-face: on your premises in England, Scotland, and Wales

How much does your training cost?

Typical prices range from £800 to £2,000 excluding VAT. Final cost depends on course duration, location, number of participants, and payment terms.

  • Full pricing details available on our website
  • No hidden charges
  • Formal quotations remain valid for 30 days

What are your courses like?

Our courses are delivered as interactive workshops rather than traditional lectures, and typically include:

  • Subject specialist input
  • Interactive quizzes
  • Group discussions
  • Practical exercises
  • Real-world case studies

We incorporate your organisation’s policies and procedures wherever possible to ensure the learning is relevant, engaging, and immediately applicable.

Who delivers the training?

Training is delivered by experienced subject specialists with extensive knowledge in their field. Our trainers:

  • Have significant practical experience
  • Can answer most participant questions during the session
  • Provide follow-up responses for complex questions
  • Are skilled facilitators who make technical subjects engaging

Do you issue CPD certificates?

Yes. All participants receive a CPD certificate detailing learning hours completed and headline course content.

Who uses your training services?

We work with organisations of all sizes, including:

  • Large international organisations
  • Public sector employers
  • Charities and not-for-profits
  • SMEs and local businesses

Attendees commonly include directors, senior leaders, HR professionals, operational managers, line managers, employee representatives, and staff teams. Customer feedback and testimonials are available on our website.

Why should I book a Concrew Training course?

Our training is:

  • Delivered live by subject specialists
  • Designed for real-world application
  • Suitable for teams of up to 20 participants
  • Available face-to-face in England, Scotland, and Wales
  • Available online across the UK
  • Practical, engaging, and immediately applicable
  • High-quality and competitively priced

Suitable for directors, senior leaders, HR teams, operational managers, line managers, staff teams, and employee representatives.

How far in advance should we book training?

We recommend booking training 2–3 months in advance. Availability is generally good with a three-month lead time. Dates are only reserved once a booking is confirmed. Short-term bookings may be limited.

How do I book a course?

  1. Complete our quote request form
  2. Receive a formal quotation and provide any delivery details
  3. Confirm your booking
  4. Receive a formal Delivery Confirmation and “What Happens Next” guidance

Is there anything else I will need to do?

For online courses

  • Schedule the event on your video conferencing platform
  • Share joining details with attendees
  • Provide the trainer profile and course overview

For face-to-face courses

  • Book the room/venue and required equipment
  • Share trainer details and course overview with attendees
  • Print and provide handouts to the trainer prior to the session

After the course

  • Distribute post-course handouts and CPD certificates

How does your 12-month post-course support service work?

Email us with any training-related questions that arise following the course. We provide guidance and support relating to the training content covered.

Note: This service is not a substitute for legal advice.

What happens if I have more questions?

We’re here to help. You can contact us at any stage before, during, or after your training programme, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.