Training your employees – why bother? After all, it costs lots of money, it takes people out of work for too long, they might leave afterwards, and there’s no guarantee that it will improve performance is there?
We believe passionately in the value of developing your employees and there is plenty of research that backs up our “gut feeling” that this is a good thing to be doing.
The CIPD cite a lack of training, development and career opportunities as major reasons for employees leaving a business, and high staff turnover can be costly.
Remember that developing your staff does not necessarily mean sending them on expensive training courses that take them away from the business for days at a time. Training as we knew it has progressed, so that the right solution for your business is cost effective, targeted to your needs and focuses on specific measurable outcomes that improve individual and business performance.
If you want to get the very best from your staff consider some of these alternatives
- Induction programmes for all new starters
- On the job learning that is supported by the business but directed by the individual learning as they need to
- Self-directed learning with books, journals, trade publications, internet research and relevant business forums
- Attending conferences, presentations and trade shows
- E-learning with interactive internet and computer-based training resources
- Mentoring from a colleague or a more senior member of the team
- Coaching that is targeted at individual development with focussed outcomes
- Action learning sets aimed at solving business issues and developing skills at the same time
- Short workshops geared to your specific business needs and using the best techniques and tools in maximising learning
A key to the success of any development is the involvement and support of the senior people within your business as they create the environment for growth, encourage development and provide opportunities for learning to be applied in the workplace.
Excellent managers will be seeking positive outcomes, looking for attitude and behavioural changes and will be encouraging continuous development. Successful business will be measuring the Return on Investment of development and ensuring that it really is worth the bother.