An organization’s knowledge is equal to the combined knowledge and skills of all the employees together. Therefore, every business — no matter the size — should invest in the training and development process for its own growth.
”An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” -Benjamin Franklin
A recent study by KPMG, which surveyed 138 leading Indian organisations across sectors, suggests that it is now that businesses are waking up to the idea of building a healthy ecosystem for learning.
However, corporates must develop the right learning and development process in order to have a skilful and competitive workforce.
Related: 5 on-the-job training methods
Goals of the best learning and development programs
The most successful training programs aim to do three things:
- Train workers for their current job profile.
- Prepare them for promotion.
- Nurture future leaders for the business.
Before we explain these in greater detail, let us explore the benefits you will gain from starting an employee training program at your business.
Importance of employee training and development
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Employee training and development is getting the attention of big and small organizations alike, as it does more than upskill workers. Training programs:
Help keep good employees
Loss of employees has been a rising concern for employers. Studies have found that the primary reasons for high attrition rates are:
- Low pay
- Poor work-life balance
- Lack of training and professional development opportunities
Talented young workers are hungry for a chance to improve their skills and their job prospects. Having an adequate training and development process for employees at various stages in their careers is one of the best employee retention strategies.
Cope-up with rapidly evolving technology
With technology evolving at light speed, businesses must make sure their workers have the skills and technology to keep the business thriving.
Beat competition
For any business in a competitive industry, employee training and development provides a key advantage over other companies that do not train their employees. It is an investment that reaps big results in the long run.
Building a program for your business
A good training and development process prepares the employees for the near-term as well as distant future. The best training programs:
1. Train workers for their current job profile
For new recruits (especially freshers), many businesses run internship programs that help them understand the work culture and nitty-gritties of their work profile.
2. Prepare them for promotion
Employees are trained for new skills or technology upgrades in their niche to complete their current job with skill and efficiency. They are also guided towards future career paths.
3. Nurture future leaders for the business
Smart businesses are always looking for leaders and this is another front where employees need to be trained. This type of training focuses on:
- Networking
- People management
- Innovation
- Strategic thinking
As you can see, training programs are good for the company as well as its employees.
The need to embrace technology
Being willing to spend money on the learning and development process does not ensure the employee’s growth. Organizations have to make sure that the training is delivered in the most effective way and through the right medium.
82% of people in a recent study said they prefer mobile as the learning medium.
But, 23% of the business learning programs can be accessed through office PCs only.
In fact, 50.5% of the organizations in India have reported that they don’t use technology the way they should.
Therefore, organizations require a mindset shift and willingness to make use of technology to:
- Deliver the training
- Make it accessible on the devices employees prefer
- Integrate the learning data with other HR processes
Two broad types of training
Apart from embracing technology, it is important to use the right type of training to suit the material to be learned.
Classroom teaching
This is a traditional method of teaching, where the expert delivers a talk and communicates important information in person.
Video learning
Video learning is the best method to cross geographical barriers and learn from the subject matter experts.
With the help of tools such as Zoom and JoinMe, you can stream a video lecture. You can even record the sessions and make them available to unavailable employees later. With these tools, students can ask their questions as well.
Microlearning
As attention spans shrink, companies are making efforts to simplify learning. Microlearning is a method that breaks the information up and presents it in small chunks so that it is easy to digest for busy workers.
The science behind microlearning says that ‘short and repetitive learning increases long-term comprehension rates.’
There are various tools that can help you create snippets of information that will help employees understand their jobs and improve their performance. You can do this using YouTube’s private account or a tool like TalentCards. It creates learning cards that can be accessed through mobile.
Hands-on training
This is the most popular employee training method in which the worker learns by doing. If you own a bakery or a restaurant where there’s less theory to teach, this type of training works best.
Here are various ways of learning by doing:
Internship
Here the learner works as an intern or mentee under the close supervision of a senior employee.
Shadowing
Some jobs require expertise and may involve a certain risk. In such situations, employees are asked to learn by observing others first and then slowly taking the task in their hands.
Job rotation
With this method, the new trainees are made to learn several skills by rotating through positions and learning by observing others.
Start your training and development process
Employees are the engine that drives any business. If they are not fueled with the training they need to do their jobs, then it impacts their performance considerably.
In the article, we have discussed the components of a strong learning and development process. Now it’s up to you to empower your employees with training. Provide it and they will carry your business to glory.
