How employee training saves your business time and money

Wednesday February 5, 2020

Employing people can be a very rewarding experience. When you employ and nurture the right people for your business, growth and success can have endless possibilities, for all involved.

We know that managing employees can come with challenges. But we also know the range of benefits for business owners who have trusted relationships with good employees. A foundation which can be built upon with robust people management strategies, such as continuous learning and skills development.

Consider head chef Ashley Palmer Watts. From an entry level position working for Heston Blumenthal, he now heads up Heston’s latest Michelin star restaurant and even earned the restaurant a second Michelin star.

From watching an employee grow with your business, to knowing that you can focus on achieving long-term goals whilst they manage the day-to-day, it can be satisfying to know that your business is in good hands. Providing opportunities for employee training and continuous learning not only makes this possible, but can increase employee satisfaction, progress and new ways of thinking.

Investing in your business

Continuous learning for employees is an investment. Much like any other investment, you will likely want to evaluate the pros, cons and risks before deciding to proceed. A perceived risk for some employers on the topic of employee training may be that an employee will leave with their newfound knowledge, only to go and work for a competitor.

But the alternative of course would be that employees who don’t receive training and skills development continue working for your business. Ill-informed decisions are made, mishaps multiply, and every day starts to feel like Groundhog Day. Worse still, competitors who have invested in employee training are now at an advantage.

Investing in employees is investing in your business. Those employers who were concerned that staff could leave may be interested to hear that employee training can actually improve retention rates. It can also be an attractive benefit during recruitment. Note that there are legal ways to protect training investments such as study assistance agreements. Do speak to us to find ways of protecting your investment.

Filling in the gaps

Perhaps you have been considering employee training but aren’t quite sure where to start. There are a broad range of topics out there, and you won’t want to waste time on something that won’t show a return on investment for your business. Observation and planning are crucial first steps towards understanding how to proceed.

From this initial analysis you should be able to narrow down your options. For example, could it be that customer service training might enhance interpersonal skills and improve your front line? Or perhaps conflict resolution or knowledge on equality and discrimination can support managers and improve teamwork? To assist those working in specialist roles, coaching and mentoring can be tailored to fit the unique needs of a profession.

Equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills, employees and senior staff can feel empowered to make well informed decisions, saving you both time and money.

Setting up for success

For employee training to be successful, it must be implemented well and shouldn’t be too disruptive to workflow.

Flexible learning methods such as eLearning can efficiently deliver training in a non-disruptive way. Anytime, anywhere learning has the ability to slot into a weekly work schedule, even if employees work shifts. And it can benefit those working at one or multiple locations.

People learn differently and so there are benefits to a multi-layered approach. You may wish to consider a combination of onsite team sessions, online modules and one-on-one coaching for a comprehensive learning and development plan that can be rolled out to your workforce.

A range of courses from The HR Dept

Devising and implementing successful employee training can take time. But once the groundwork has been done, the time saved in the long term is priceless. At The HR Dept we offer a range of eLearning courses, from dealing with health and safety matters, to recruitment, cybersecurity awareness and much more. And we also offer local face-to-face courses. If you’d like to know more, or discuss which of our cost-effective courses can work well for your business, get in touch today.

Preventing People Problems

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