Developing an effective training strategy

Developing an effective training strategy

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  DEVELOPINGAN EFFECTIVE TRAINING STRATEGY It'stempting to put off staff training indefinitely,waiting until there is more time or more money. But for you to succeed,your employees' skill setsmustbe complete and up-to-date. Employee development is one of the most important investments you can make in your business. When you dotake on a training effort,you'llwant to be sure you're spendingyourmoney wisely. It's therefore bestto create an overalltraining strategy to steeryourplans forstaffdevelopment. Here are some guidelines to help make yourtraining efforts successful: ANALYZE YOUR NEEDS Take the time to carefully analyze yourneedswhen designingyourtraining plan.This will help you choose theright type oftraining foryour requirements. IDENTIFY SKILL GAPS You can do this by looking at a written job description (make sure you have one!)and comparing the skills the position requireswith youremployees'current abilities. Understandingwhere there may be gaps will help you identify the types oftraining youneed. PRIORITIZE Assignthe training you'dlike to provide into categories. Is it mandatory,ornice-to-have? Ifit's absolutely required,a training effort becomes imperative. If it reflects an idealsituation that isn't immediately feasible,you'llknowto plan for it in the longerterm. PLAN AND DELIVER THE TRAINING Once you have assessedand prioritized the needfortraining,the next step is to secure whattypeoftraining you will use and howyou will offerit. There are severalfactors to consider: Types of training available 1. Internal resources:Askyourselfwhat resources you have in-house. Seasonedemployees may be perfect to take on coaching ormentoring roles. Inexpensive to provide,theseare among the most effective types oftraining 2. External resources:Formalseminars,conferences,private trainers andvideos are allgood methods for learning.These tools are more expensive,but are professionally developedand often yield good results Delivery options One-on-one vs.groupsessions,e-learningvs.in-personinstruction,on-site oroff-site? These questions will be answered by a blend offactors:what's available,what bestsuits yourneeds,and what you can afford. Your budget It's important to balance yourneed to save with the long-termbenefit ofdeveloping staff. Try to determine the best type oftraining available forthe amount you have to spend. Formore information,read go2HR's article on Budgeting for Training. DON'T FORGET TO SECURE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF COMMITMENT Before you can execute a training program,you needto haveagreementfromthe seniorperson in yourcompany that training is a priority. This person will need to support the plan fully and agree to milestones,costs,dates and deliverables.
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  Employee commitment isalso required. Talk to yourstaffaboutthe goals forthe training and why it's importantto the businessthattheyundertake the learning effort. Mostoften,employees will respondfavourably to yourinvestment in theirdevelopment. Today'semployeeslookbeyondtheirpaycheques; they value and embrace opportunities to learn newskills. ANALYZE TRAININGEFFORTS AND THEIR IMPACT Training can be costly,so you will want to assess its impact. However,sometimes its effect cannot be translated simply into bottomline dollars and cents. Ideally, you might trackvariables before and aftertraining to verify improvements afterdevelopment efforts. Ifthe training was on customerservice,the endresult may be fewer customercomplaints and/oran increasein sales. Training on a new computersystemmay net fewer errors orquickerprocessing. You may need to reviewwhy you sought training to begin with and whether yourconcerns have been remedied. THINK LONG-TERM Changes may not occurovernight,so it's important to be patient. Training is a long-terminvestment,andoften the benefits are not immediately obvious. However,yourefforts in developingyourpeople will help you in many ways.Staffwill be more knowledgeable,they'llbe more likely to stickaround,and yourcommitment to training will help you earn a reputationas an employerofchoice.