Benefits of training and development programmes
Of course, there is a cost to develop these programmes. In addition to the financial investment, training takes employees away from the normal course of business. But many organisations find that developing these programmes is worth the cost. Consider these benefits:
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- Increased productivity and adherence to quality standards A trained, knowledgeable workforce is essential in achieving high productivity, consistency and increased efficiency.
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- Eliminating weaknesses before they become big problems A solid training programme helps employees strengthen their skills and identify weak areas that have the potential to disrupt productivity.
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- Improved employee satisfaction, performance and retention Training programmes show employees that their companies value them and are willing to invest in their future, so employees feel appreciated. Also, enhancing their knowledge base and skill set boosts confidence.
- Staying innovative and competitive Having effective training and development programmes keeps companies vibrant, creative and forward-thinking. They’re also an excellent recruitment tool: people want to work at companies that promise to teach new ideas and offer opportunities for growth.
Creating an effective employee training and development programme
Planning is critical in setting up an effective training programme for your employees. Here are five steps you can take to plan for and implement a programme to help ensure that you’ll get a solid return on your investment:
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- Perform an assessment The first step is to assess where gaps are in areas such as productivity, quality assurance and employee satisfaction. Conduct interviews with, and surveys of, supervisors and workers. Find out if new employees are taking a long time to find their stride, or if bottlenecks are affecting your bottom line. Is your competition offering more effective training programmes? Do employees feel that there are areas in which they need more support?
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- Consult with experts If you don’t have in-house training experts, consider consulting with outside professionals who can help you put together an employee training plan and produce appropriate materials. You could hire an instructional designer or work with a local school or college. You could also partner with a government agency that already provides just the kind of training you’re looking for.
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- Develop a targeted training and development plan Your training and development plan should specify learning objectives that aim to strengthen weak points. The plan should include an analysis of problem areas and how the programme will address each one. It should describe what the programme will entail – for example, whether they are classes to be offered on-site or individual online learning sessions – a budget that shows all expenses, what kind of awards or certifications trainees will receive after completing the programme and how results will be measured.
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- Conduct a test programme Once your plan has been approved but before you set it into motion, conduct a pilot training session to see what works well and which areas need tweaking. It’s much easier to identify and work out bugs at this stage than when the full programme is underway. You should have the participants fill in a survey to evaluate what parts they feel worked well and where they feel improvements are needed.
- Measure training results Measuring the results of the programme is likely the most important step. Interview and survey supervisors and workers to find out whether the desired changes are coming to fruition. Are managers seeing improved behaviours? Are employees feeling more successful? Ask participants to quantitatively express those changes. For example, are workers putting in less overtime due to improved productivity? Do the numbers tell you that productivity has increased in the way that you expected?
Companies of all sizes can benefit from implementing well thought-out employee training and development programmes. They help organisations remain innovative and competitive while increasing employee motivation and satisfaction.
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