Training and development is an initiative organizations take to educate their employees to enhance their skills and knowledge and attain organizational goals. Companies train new and existing employees using various training formats like classroom lectures and e-learning.
Training and development are essential to preparing employees for new roles and responsibilities. For example, a new employee undergoes onboarding and other training to get acclimatized to their role in the organization. An existing employee might undergo leadership training to prepare for the managerial position. Employees are also trained in new skills to update their knowledge and skills and prepare them for future jobs. Training and development help organizations gain a competitive advantage and ensure they are ready for change.
Lack of motivation is one of the primary reasons for employee attrition. Employees feel valued when organizations invest in their growth. Training and development develop employees' skills and competencies and boost their confidence. It makes them feel valued and provides opportunities to grow in their career. An engaged and motivated workforce is an advantage for organizations, too, as they are spared from the never-ending recruitment cycle and employee churn.
Organizations invest in new technologies to improve productivity, reduce the burden on the workforce, decrease costs, and improve business outcomes. These changes are met with resistance due to fear of job loss. Organizations can overcome this resistance by preparing and training their workforce in new technologies and processes. Training and development will help employees see the benefits of the change and improve adoption.
According to Richard Branson, when you care for employees, they will care for clients. Training and development helps employees learn new skills or upskill themselves. They develop new capabilities and work more efficiently. It also boosts their productivity and performance and helps them deliver better customer experiences. Training is also essential to improve employee compliance and adhere to legislation.
Organizations spend a lot of time and money hiring and training new employees. They can save time and money through employee training and development. Training helps maintain business continuity. Since existing employees know the systems and processes, training them is easy and requires less effort. They don't have to undergo training from scratch. They learn quickly, align with the organizational goals efficiently, and deliver results within a short time. Also, since training motivates and engages employees, organizations don't have to worry about employee churn and the excruciating effort of finding new resources again.
Continuous innovation is the only way for organizations to thrive in an agile business landscape. It helps organizations stay ahead of the competition and motivates employees to stay engaged. Employee training and development can help build a culture of constant innovation. Besides upskilling employees and making them productive, training sparks new ideas and creativity in them. They can apply their knowledge to improve existing businesses or implement new business ideas.
The first step is determining how training will solve current business problems or achieve organizational goals. Analyze the employees' current skills, identify the gaps, and find out how training can bridge them. Also, since different employees have varying training needs, evaluate their existing competencies to build programs that meet those needs. Do a thorough evaluation before planning a training program.
After defining the training needs and goals, create a training and development plan. A training plan should include the following:
Be as thorough as possible while designing the training plan. It will be the roadmap for successful implementation.
Determine the training costs. Training costs would involve software costs, trainers' accommodation and travel costs, equipment costs, training material costs, and more, depending on the delivery mode. For example, online learning will cost less than offline classes as organizations don't have to spend on trainers' accommodation and travel, classrooms, or other equipment.
Sometimes management may hesitate to invest in training programs. The onus lies with the leaders and training and development team to demonstrate value. They must show evidence of how training could solve problems or improve business outcomes. A case study of a similar initiative in another organization or a small-scale experiment within the organization could help management see the value of training and approve the plan.
This is a crucial step because the success of the training plan depends on its implementation. The implementation could vary for offline and online classes. For example, you have to choose the right learning management system (LMS) to create, manage, and monitor online courses. We recommend seeking the help of an expert who understands your training goals and executes the program successfully.
Training and development programs become effective if organizations measure the outcomes. Define the metrics for measuring the training's success. For example, how has productivity improved since the training, or has the net promoter score (NPS) increased after employees underwent customer service training? Also, monitor how many employees completed the courses and how long it took to complete them. Frequent monitoring will help you identify the bottleneck in the training and enable the trainers to improve the program to make it more effective.
Online training is more manageable, less time-consuming and less expensive than offline courses. Trainers can monitor the outcome more efficiently when the classes are conducted online. To deploy and manage online training programs, you will need an upgraded and modern LMS to help you efficiently create, manage, and monitor multiple online courses. You can also monitor employees' progress, assess them, and modify programs without any hassles. Before choosing an LMS, compare the features and pricing and ensure they help you meet your training needs.
GyrusAim is a modern LMS that allows organizations to create and measure online courses and manage their training and development initiatives. It also provides options to personalize the training programs to make them more effective. Schedule a free demo to learn about GyrusAim and how it will help your organization.