Training and developing workers are very important aspects of Human Resource Management. Many Human Resource (HR) Management departments in modern business organizations have a separate training and development section responsible only for this area of work.
It is because increasing pressure on businesses to improve performance in order to create competitive advantage has increased the importance on training and developing the skills of a firm’s workforce. Additionally, accelerating technological changes and a dynamic internal and external environment have speeded up the process.
Imagine you have just started a part-time job in a local shop. It is your first day at work.
How will you know what to do?
Your colleague from the last job has been working at the store for some time. He has just changed jobs and it is his first day in a new company.
How will he know what to do?
Both workers need to be trained, so that they can do their jobs effectively and efficiently. The same store has just introduced new technology. All employees have been trained to use the new equipment.
That is why training is not just for new staff, but must be for all employees and it must be ongoing.
What is training of employees?
Training means instructing workers on performing the tasks of their current job.
It is the process of providing opportunities for employees to acquire and develop employment-related competencies need for a particular job role.
Training teaches staff new knowledge and skills, or betters what they already know and can do, with the intention of improving performance of the employee.
Note 1: Upskilling means gaining new skills, knowledge and qualifications through training. More about upskilling here.
Main reasons why employees need training
Training is considered to be an important investment in people who are the business organization’s most valuable asset. The need for training employees arises due to following reasons:
- Induction. When new recruits unfamiliar with the business and its operations join the firm, or internally recruited staff perhaps due to a promotion or due to restructuring within the organization changes job roles, the firm needs to help them settle into their new positions. Induction training focuses on introducing policies, practices and culture of the business, explaining the firm’s activities and customs as well as introducing new employees to their fellow workers.
- Efficiency. Training can increase the quality of existing employees by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of staff. So, more work gets done to a higher standard. When workers have broad base of skills available for both current and future needs of the organization. If they know exactly what to do and how to do it, tasks can be completed more quickly with higher speed of work. In the end, new employees are supposed to reach the level of experienced employees.
- Job satisfaction. To facilitate career and personal development of employees, when the business offers effective training, which improves skills and abilities, it can increase worker’s confidence at work. People tend to feel much happier, if they know they can do their job well. Hence, training creates positive attitude among the workers that may increase the employees’ loyalty and commitment in the long term. Therefore, training opportunities may not increase job satisfaction, but can also develop a multi-skilled and productive workforce which can deliver high quality goods and services. Ultimately, increased productivity enables employees to gain financial benefits and greater promotional opportunities.
- Legal requirements. When a business recruits new personnel, implements new processes or adopts new laws, it is important for training to take place. It is because people need to know the laws they must abide by such as the data protection act. In this case, training will help staff adapt to changes such as technological, organizational, social and legal changes.
- Avoid breakages. Introduction of new technology to the firm will require training for those workers who are going to operate certain machinery. They need to know how to use that equipment correctly, so it is less likely to get broken or damaged. Provide training for the unskilled workers can make them more valuable to the company. Therefore, the level of supervision needed will decrease which will ultimately decrease the costs.
- Health and safety. When a business organization purchases new equipment, employees need to know how to operate certain technology. It is because if people do not use the equipment in the right way, they might hurt themselves or damage their health permanently. Hence, appropriate training can decrease the chance of workplace accidents.
The amount of training required and the nature of training will obviously vary from one job to another. While some jobs require constant training to update skills and qualifications (e.g. lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc.), other jobs only require basic training to be carried out (e.g. construction workers, machine operators in a factory, etc.).
Strategy for training workers
It is important that a business provides training that is consistent with the overall business strategy.
Good training programs start with assessing the present skills of the workforce. Training is typically required when work routine or practice change, workers are required to acquire new skills, new recruits need to fit into new teams or organization structures, attitudes need to be changed, there are new responsibilities, improvements in customer relations need to be made, etc.
The main steps in developing and establishing a training strategy include:
- STEP 1: Identify the skills and abilities needed by employees. Then, identify any gaps.
- STEP 2: Prepare an action plan to show how investment in training will help to meet business objectives.
- STEP 3: Implement the training plan, monitoring progress as employees develop new knowledge and skills as well as assess training effectiveness.
The final review of the competence bases of a firm must be an ongoing process because the competitiveness of markets in which the business operates constantly change. Based on the results of an appraisal, the business will draw up a training program for each employee detailing the specific needs of this employee, the aim of any training to be undertaken and actions required to make that training possible.
Why some companies do not train their workers?
Training is important to both businesses and workers with the ultimate benefit of training being that the workforce becomes more productive, flexible and motivated.
However, some business may not want to train their workers because they are afraid that:
- Difficult to measure training effectiveness. While the costs of training employees are fairly easy to measure in quantitative terms, it is not always so easy and straightforward to put a money value on the benefits of training. And without knowing the benefits of the particular training, many firms assume that they are not making a justifiable investment.
- Training costs money for the business. Because training programs are seen as an investment in the future of the business organization, some companies are not willing to spend money on training as they desire to minimize short-term costs. One of the reasons is that it often takes time to increase business performance.
- Risk of losing an employee. Some other businesses are reluctant to spend money on training because they fear that their well-trained staff will then be poached by competitors. And, then competitors will benefit from the training the most. One of the ways to prevent highly-training employees from leaving the business is to motivate their well-trained staff with appropriate financial and non-financial incentives to stay at the firm.
Sometimes, it may not be easy to justify workforce training, hence in this case, the business should think twice whether it is really necessary. Overall, an organization is likely to undertake training and development, if the benefits are considered to be greater than the costs. And employees who wish to attend such courses must be able to justify how their personal development helps to improve their work performance.
What happens without training employees?
Training is regarded as an important investment in what is perhaps the organizations most valuable asset. Here is what happens without employee training:
- NO TRAINING AT ALL. Impact of no training on employees include higher recruitment costs, low productivity, low morale and safety issues. Without training workers may become demotivated, and this may negatively impact customer satisfaction.
- NOT ENOUGH TRAINING. When offering not enough training and development the result is that the workers are less skilled than workers of other companies, especially those of main competitors. Additionally, workers may not have enough motivation to carry out the tasks to their best, hence it might lower the overall competitiveness of the entire firm.
In summary, training helps workers to do specific tasks of a certain job as well as enhances the personal skills of a person such as assertiveness, counseling, time management, stress management, first-aid, foreign language courses, etc. It also helps employees to be more effective and flexible in their jobs.
