As the time an employee spends in your business grows, it is likely that so too will the role they play and the tasks they undertake. In order to ensure your employees have all the skills and knowledge they require, training may be offered, helping them to progress, develop and perform in their role.
Training and development are two terms that are very much intertwined, with training having a significant influence on how development is ultimately achieved, as well as acting as a form of development in itself.
There are a number of reasons as to why training and development may be needed.
Perhaps an employee needs to use new software in order to complete their job, you may be looking to boost morale and increase productivity, training may be required for legal reasons (such as first aid or fire safety) or perhaps you’ve spotted some gaps in understanding… whatever the reason, training and development is relatively easy to implement and offers a wide range of benefits to both your employees and the business. Training and development should be embedded in your appraisal process and be aligned to employees objectives.
If you feel that staff members are exhibiting a lack of understanding in a particular area, it may well be that this is in fact a gap in their knowledge that could be rectified with the right training and as part of a performance improvement plan. Such gaps may arise as the demands of roles change over time, employees are taking up a new role or alternatively they may have always been present. We always recommend identifying gaps as early as the recruitment process and throughout induction, enabling you to implement any necessary training programme quickly and seamlessly.
This then leads us to another point, namely that the type of training required will vary depending on the needs of the individual in question. It is also worth bearing in mind that how we all take in information varies, so individual learning styles should also be considered when looking at training programmes available.
Finally, with technology playing increasingly important roles in business, it’s always prudent to take this into account to ensure that any training is delivered in a technological appropriate manner and accessible to everyone in the business.
With training and development being closely linked with performance, engagement and motivation as well as retention, this is a vital area to consider investment in.
Speak to us if you’d like to discuss offering training and development opportunities to your employees.
As always, if we can be of any assistance please let us know.
