The Importance of Training and Development in the Workplace

pacheduco — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:17:16 +0000

Employee training and development is vital to any organization’s achievement of its objectives, and ultimately, it’s overall success. The organisation should be aware of the skills necessary to succeed, they currently possess as well as the current gaps to be filled immediately and, in the future,. Skills development providers such as our own company Pachedu Skills Solutions have extensive experience working with organizations of all types and sizes helping them conduct skills audits, determine their skills gaps, and ultimately propose and deliver on interventions that address those gaps.

What does training and development, really mean to your organisation?

Do you consider employee training and development a necessary investment or an unnecessary cost to be avoid or reduced by all means? Today, the value of an organization is primarily driven by its intangibles with employee skills being one of them. Therefore, training presents a prime opportunity for the organization to expand the knowledge base of all employees and increase its value.

However, many employers in the current climate are not doing enough to upskill their employees, leaving that burden solely in the hands of employees. Of course, an employee is responsible for their upskilling and development, but the employer still has a critical role to play. One of the challenges faced by many employers is meeting the cost of upskilling and developing their employees. They find development opportunities expensive. Also, competing priorities and limited resources mean employees attending training sessions end up missing out on work time which may delay the completion of projects. As a result, sending an employee say to a 3-day training course takes the back seat.

However, despite these potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the individual and organisations with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment. The return on investment from training and development of employees is really a no brainer. Given that not all training and development programmes deliver the promised return on investment, we recommend companies to first conduct a robust cost-benefit analysis of the offerings available and go with the one that helps them achieve the company’s objectives.

So what are the benefits?

All though the list is not conclusive, employee training and development benefits include:

Improved employee performance – The employee who receives the necessary training is better able to perform in their job. The training will give the employee a greater understanding of their responsibilities within their role, and in turn build their confidence. This confidence will enhance their overall performance, and this can only benefit the company. Employees who are competent and on top of changing industry standards help your company hold a position as a leader and strong competitor within the industry.
Improved employee satisfaction and morale – The investment in training that a company makes shows employees that they are valued. The training creates a supportive workplace. Employees may gain access to training they wouldn’t have otherwise known about or sought out themselves. Employees who feel appreciated and challenged through training opportunities may feel more satisfaction toward their jobs.
Addressing weaknesses – Most employees will have some weaknesses in their workplace skills. A training program allows you to strengthen those skills that each employee needs to improve. A development program brings all employees to a higher level, so they all have similar skills and knowledge. This helps reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on others to complete basic work tasks. Providing the necessary training creates an overall knowledgeable staff with employees who can take over for one another as needed, work on teams or work independently without constant help and supervision from others.
Consistency – A robust training and development program ensures that employees have a consistent experience and background knowledge. The consistency is particularly relevant for the company’s basic policies and procedures. All employees need to be aware of the expectations and procedures within the company. Increased efficiencies in processes results in financial gain for the company.
Increased productivity and adherence to quality standards – Productivity usually increases when a company implements training courses. Increased efficiency in processes will ensure project success which in turn will improve the company turnover and potential market share.
Increased innovation in new strategies and products – Ongoing training and upskilling of the workforce can encourage creativity. New ideas can be formed as a direct result of training and development.
Reduced employee turnover – Staff are more likely to feel valued if they are
invested in and therefore, less likely to change employers. Training and development
is seen as an additional company benefit. Recruitment costs therefore go down due
to staff retention.
Enhances company reputation and profile – Having a strong and successful training strategy helps to develop your employer brand and make your company a prime consideration for graduates and mid-career changes. Training also makes a company more attractive to potential new recruits who seek to improve their skills and the opportunities associated with those new skills.

Training can be of any kind relevant to the work or responsibilities of the individual and can be delivered by any appropriate method.

For example, it could include:

On-the-job learning
Mentoring programmes
In-house training
Individual study

Blended learning is becoming more and more popular and as a company we have seen a definite increase in this method of training over the last year. Blended learning is the effective combination of online learning and classroom learning. Many companies are increasingly preferring their staff to learn on-site rather than attend off-site training programmes. On-site learning programmes like the blended learning approach, allow Pachedu to train more people working across different locations. This makes it much more cost-effective and allows for greater process consistency.

The importance of training your employees – both new and experienced – really cannot be
overemphasized.