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Staff Training



There is one vital key to ensure business competitiveness and business profitability: staff training.

Training your staff and keeping their skills up to date is essential to the success of your business or organization. Undeniably, the benefits gained from staff training are invaluable. For instance, it has been observed that the trainings are able to reduce staff turnover, increase productivity and improve the quality of work. Theses trainings result to greater staff satisfaction through enhanced confidence, personal development and career enhancement.

To understand better the need for staff training, let us picture the current environment in the workplace. The following characterize the present situation:

  • Rapid and ongoing change
  • Blurring of boundaries within and between institutions
  • Uncertainty in terms of predicting future trends and requirements
  • Less defined and/or changing roles and responsibilities
  • Increased emphasis on collaboration and team work
  • Increased emphasis on accountability


These situations put a heavier burden on the employees and it is basically the management’s responsibility to equip its people not only to adapt to these situations but to rise above them.


THE BENEFITS OF STAFF TRAINING


According to studies and surveys, the following are the good results of staff training:

* Improved quality of work
* Increased productivity
* Greater flexibility and responsiveness to change
* Reduced insurance premiums
* Less wastage
* Reduced maintenance and repair costs
* Greater commitment from staff
* Higher staff retention rate
* Improved morale

Besides and perhaps topping the list of the benefits is that often overlooked fact that through these trainings, staff skills are recognized and they feel that they are being valued by the company.


EVALUATING THE TRAINING NEEDS


To start off, business and employee needs have to be identified well so that the right staff training can be appropriately implemented. Here are the steps to assess that:

Step 1 Check How Well Your Business Is Doing
To know that, answer the following:

Is your business doing better compared with competitors; are clients happy with the company’s service; is the staff happy; is the business on track in achieving its long-term goals; what business areas could benefit from training?

Are you completely satisfied with your product and service qualities; are you contented with the efficiency of your business systems?


Step 2 Staff Consultation
Consult regularly with your staff to determine their training and developing needs.

Ask a few of your reliable employees and managers what they want to accomplish and how training could help achieve their goals.


Step 3 Formulate A Training Profile
Record your analysis from Step 2 and base the training profile from this. Identify the types of courses and job experiences requested by your staff.


Step 4 Create A Training Plan
The plan should list all the scheduled courses, the participants, dates, session times and venues.

Step 5 Disseminate The Information
Ensure that everyone who needs the training is well-informed regarding the details of the training plan.


TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS

Employees, environment, technology, and work demands keep on changing which result to corresponding shifting needs. Continual assessment is needful therefore to keep up with the volatile business situations.

Staff training needs are assessed through analysis. The format will depend on the nature of the organization, the available technology, and the nature of the staff.


This 3-step process is fundamental however in the analysis:

I.            Identify the training needs
II.           Deliver the training that will meet the needs
III.          Make an assessment of the effectiveness of the training

Let’s discuss each of the step in detail.

I HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TRAINING NEEDS

Interviews done with employees from all levels are the often used assessment tool. Observing employees at work is also a way to do that. Questionnaires can be useful when assessing the requirements of the group and likewise offer the element of confidentiality.

In this step, skills and knowledge are defined as well as their levels. When the skills gap had been determined, this is then filled by training.


II A. THE TRAINING THAT MEETS THE NEED

Training packages comprising of a set of nationally endorsed standards and qualifications for recognizing and assessing skills in specific industries are usually available and handy. These packages are ready but the what, where, how, and when of the training is for you to decide.

It is a common problem that the groups that will undergo training are comprised of trainees having different levels of experiences, abilities, needs, expectations, and aims. This puts additional demands on the training provider in ensuring that the needs of the attendees are met as such that those who know or possess certain parts of the information and abilities being learned could not be bored. It is therefore helpful for both trainers and delegates to acknowledge and accept this situation from the beginning of the sessions so potential frustrations will be reduced.


B. DELIVERING THE TRAINING

There are several ways that training can be delivered. For example, the company can choose a trainee to be trained by experts in the latest technologies and techniques. The staff can also be sent on training courses. The company can even organize a customized training depending on the need of the company. Training can also be done online.

Whatever way you may wish to avail, it is absolutely important that the training is delivered by a competent provider. Finding training providers nowadays is easy. Check out the directory in your area or better yet, browse through the internet to find the best possible choice. Make sure that your provider is a recognized organization; that it can provide the training that best suits the needs of your company and that it has the expertise in the equipments your company uses. Of course, consider well the cost of the training that the provider charges.

Negotiate with the training provider the content and scope of the training you wish your staff will receive. There has to be a clear, written, training plan which includes the aims, methods, relevance and outputs related to the aims of your business.

Try to devise a training program in stages. Build up on each skill. Keep the training digestible and controlled and always achievable in the mind of the trainees.


III. ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING

Evaluate how the training relates to your business aims, and how the effectiveness of the training in moving the business towards these aims is measured.

Assessment is very important in retaining the value of the training program. It is vital to know whether the training has achieved its objectives.

A simple way to assess is to ask the participants to write down their assessment of the program – whether they learned much, if they enjoyed, and their suggestions on what could be improved. Staff feedback should include how they think of the training – how it was planned, delivered, measured, and how effective they think it is.

Another way is to design an evaluation which measures employees’ performance after the training in the light of their performance before the training.

 

GENERAL TIPS ON TRAINING

A.     These are things you need to think about in planning the training:

  • Your objectives
  • The number of people who needs the training
  • The methods and format you will be using
  • When, where, and the duration of the training
  • How you will gauge the training’s effectiveness


B.      The 5 Step Approach To Training

  1. Prepare the trainees. Make sure they are ready and relaxed
  2. Discuss the method of the training, explain the standards, the needed tools or systems
  3. Give a step-by-step demonstration
  4. Have the trainee practice the task
  5. Monitor the progress – encourage, coach and adapt according to the pace of development


C.      Tips To Make Training More Enjoyable And Effective

  • -  Keep instructions positive by concentrating on the dos rather than the don’ts
  • -  Use simple, easy-to-understand terminologies
  • -  Tailor the training to the individual’s capabilities
  • -  Encourage, be thoughtful, be accepting of mistakes, praise generously
  • -  Focus on accomplishment and progress
  • -  Be enthusiastic, keep a sense of humor
  • -  Invite discussions and questions
  • -  Check the progress regularly and give feedback


Helping the staff to develop through trainings is the best and greatest contribution an organization can make to their well-being. When the trainings are done well, the reward will be many times over the invested time, effort, and money. The results to these trainings -productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction - are sure guarantees to the success of the organization.