Do you have a training and development program in place for your employees? Many workplaces don’t. You might assume that your employees will let you know if they want to take a course or get some additional training – but not all employees will realize this is even an option.
By putting in place lots of training and development opportunities, you help out your employees, but you also get lots of great business advantages.
Here are some of the key reasons you need a strong training and development program:
1. Your Employees Will Be More Knowledgeable and Valuable
Do you feel that some of your employees don’t have quite the right skills to really move the needle for your company? This could push you to recruit for new positions – but have you considered simply training the staff you already have?
Whether it’s a one-day training course, an intensive couple of weeks, or even a full Masters’ degree, investing in staff training can pay off over and over again. Your staff will have more knowledge and skills to use to further your business objectives.
2. Employees Will Stay Longer
How long would you stay in a job if there was no upward path? While some of your employees might be perfectly happy doing the same thing day in, day out, others will want to move into different roles.
If you have high staff turnover, it could be because employees can’t envisage a future for themselves at your organization. By having clear training and development options – and showing employees how these can lead to promotions and pay rises – you’ll keep staff for longer.
3. Employees Will Know You’re Truly Invested in Their Growth
Even if staff members aren’t taking full advantage of your training and development program, simply having it there lets them know that you’re invested in their growth.
For employees who do take part in the program, it’s important to encourage them. Even something as simple as a “well done!” can make a huge difference. To truly support your employees with their training and development, you might also consider putting a staff recognition program in place.
4. Employees Will Avoid Safety and Interpersonal Problems
Some training and development may be necessary in your organization to prevent problems before they arise. For instance, you may need to run safety training to make sure all employees know how to avoid accidents in the workplace.
You might also run training related to issues like sexual harassment. This could clarify what behaviors are inappropriate for the workplace (and explain the potential consequences). Addressing this in training could lead to huge savings on lawsuits down the line.
5. Employees Will All Share the Same Core Knowledge
By having a consistent and effective training and development program, you can make sure that all employees have the same basic knowledge and skills. For instance, you might get all new employees to go through a program that teaches them about core company procedures.
This means that you don’t run the risk of having just a small number of long-term employees who carry a lot of your institutional knowledge. Instead, everyone will know the basics. If an employee is unwell or quits unexpectedly, then it won’t be such a struggle to cover their duties.
If you don’t already have a training and development plan in place for your organization, make that a priority for the next quarter. It could reap dividends for years to come.
