Importance of Training And Development for Employees

We all know how practice makes one better. But do we know it’s more important older brother ‘training’ that enables one to do that? To perform better in the workplace, employees need various skills and qualities. Sometimes they need to learn those qualities, sometimes they need to hone and develop those qualities. But in both cases, employers cannot expect the employees to be perfectly proficient or in sync with the corporate demand unless they are trained to strengthen their existing skills and learn ones.

Due to more research shedding light on the importance of training and development for employees in workplaces across the globe, more companies and employers are introducing training programs for job training to employee engagement and other effective employee training programs for the betterment of the company in consequence of the development of the employees. So, as we embark on the journey to find the answer to what is the importance of training for employees, let us dive into more details.

What is Employee Training?

Employee training provides your staff with a chance to improve their workplace skills be those new skills, existing skills, or new ways of executing existing skills. It usually centers around the current position of an employee and training them in the knowledge and skills they need to perform their jobs better. An effective training program is a result of careful plans customized according to the need of the employees of the company. In general, effective training programs consist of qualities such as:

– Impactful and in Alignment with Company’s Goal
– Addresses the Skill Gaps of Employees
– Multifaceted and Sustainably Designed
– Interesting, Motivating, and Enables Critical Thinking
– Analyzed for Efficacy

Who Needs Training?

Training and development programs provide some sort of benefits for every party included. From employers to employees, experienced workers to new hires, and individual employees to the company as a whole feel the importance of training. A well-performed training is possible when instructors, employers, and employees work on understanding what works best for them, their learning skills, and improving the work and company culture for employees and customers alike.

The Objectives of Training Employees

All businesses should strive for improved productivity and quality of their employees. However, many employers may think these enhancements and improvement of their employees’ productivity should be done by eliminating training and learning time. This is completely counterproductive. In fact, it’s almost exclusively possible to do something like this by incorporating employee training for organizations. The goal for training and development of employees is for their improvement which in return will bring forth the improvement of the organization involved. Listed below are some goals that the training program will achieve:

• Improve the Employees’ Awareness: Trained employees are updated with the recent advancement of their work, creating awareness of what new skills they should learn, what skills gaps they have, and how to improve their expertise regarding the subject.
• Increase the Employees’ skills regarding the job: Employee Training helps employees learn new skills required for their job. They also learn various additional skills not directly connected but associated with their jobs.
• Incentivizing Employees to Perform Better: These Training sessions also have a role in enhancing employee performance by enticing and motivating them into gaining competitive advantage and job satisfaction.

The Difference Between Training and Development

Though training and development sometimes have been used interchangeably, there are significant differences between these two. The biggest difference between training and development programs is that while training is primarily aimed at gaining a new skill, development is to further advance that skill.

Training is essential for enhancing individual employees, groups of employees, or a company’s performance whereas, development works for growth due to the enhancement of that performance with future goals in mine. With proper job training, development will surely follow. And the journey to development itself is a learning and training ground. So even though, training and development are different from one another, they are interconnected. Hence, training and development programs often have common denominators.

The Training and Development Process

Training is intended as a means to improve the functioning of organizations. Many businesses have invested in employee learning for a variety of reasons. The implementation of an employee training program requires an extensive understanding of the requirements of the employees, the job, and the company itself.

To provide training opportunities, employers first must know why they are holding these training sessions. Based on the company culture, Employees’ needs, preferred learning methods, and business growth, the training, and development programs should be planned out. Embracing workforce development requires many small and big changes. So employers should consider matters including but not limited to:

• Taking into consideration that the company can take action after training.
• Having the power to make use of newly acquired skills and knowledge.
• Training needs to be performed by qualified people.
• Let the instructors have a clear idea of their objectives.
• Surveying the output of the training to assess its usefulness
• Keep track records of all the training and development programs they held.
• Making sure employees are happier with programs.

Types of Employee Training Programs

Training options are as diverse as the subjects they are held on. The necessity of the employees, the goals employers have in mind for the company, company culture, and customer satisfaction- all play a major deciding role in choosing the perfect as well as high-impact training and development programs. Let us look into the array of programs employers can choose from:

Why Training is Important?

Training employees is essential for any company. Developing workforce skills can help them increase productivity. Training your employees will increase their productivity in the organization. Training has the potential to have a profound impact on business practices in the workplace.

Training employees is a way of strengthening their engagement and loyalty within the company. Management training provides leadership skills to teach people how to set high standards that will trickle down to their workforces.

The Benefits of Training and Development:

Now that we have a good idea of what training and development programs are and how are they to be conducted, let’s discuss the benefits of such programs. Because many times the benefits can easily be overlooked because training takes so much effort.

But those who initiated training and development programs for their companies and also kept track of their training programs are aware of how effective they are at providing a plethora of benefits. Among them, we shall enumerate a few:

• Training and Development Enhance Employee Performance:

Employee development training programs can help improve employee performance. In fact, a 2018 survey found 97% of employees completely agreed or strongly agreed to the fact that the organization-sponsored training was improving work performance. Companies can offer a variety of learning opportunities, either via e-learning courses and online programs or with the help of ‘on-the-job training.

• Training and Development Help Reduce Employee Turnover:

Increasing numbers of businesses are trying to increase staff retention as retaining skilled staff is a cost-effective method. Training and developing employees will help reduce turnovers. Workplace studies show job amenities like training and development opportunities make employees feel appreciated and render them loyal to the company that invests in them.

An educational software developer has announced that 70% of the U.S. workforce will quit their current job in upcoming years and start working with companies investing heavily in training. So introducing more of these programs is the way to go.

• Training and Development Boost Employee Productivity:

Employee productivity has been viewed as a major factor in the development of workers. Employers enrolled in training programs are more productive due to the feedback and consultancy they get from the instructors.

In fact, employee productivity is one of the indicators of effectiveness when assessing employee development program efficacy, according to HR Technologists. Developed skills can reduce the time needed for projects by cutting down the learning curve as learning is included in the training period.  

• Training and Development Increases Employee Motivation:

These programs are wonderful at increasing friendly competitiveness among workers and boosting the morale of employees. With instructors guiding their path, helping them navigate through the problems, and assessing their own power, employees feel more confident and up to the task.

Employee Development Ideas for Organizations

The best employee training ideas are dependent on the nature of the organization, the personality of personnel, the resources, and the depth of the imagination of employees. Many good employee training strategies can be seen being applied in the industry – such as:

• Utilizing technology and Social Media:

In this age of technological advancement and the abundance of social media connectivity, it will be a waste of opportunity to not utilize them in a company’s own leverage. For building a market target audience, utilizing this chance is one step closer to the development of a company.

•  Staying Alert on New Developments in Related field:

Customer satisfaction depends on being provided with the latest and most advanced services. This is why updated knowledge and skills in the field come in handy in development.

• Investing in Strengthening Existing skills:

Nurturing the strong characteristics of employees is a smart way to develop employees that are also very cost-effective. Naturally, learning newer skills while having their own benefits, costs more money and time. Whereas, existing skills development has the potential to make an employee the best in their field even on a limited budget.

• Providing Professional Aid:

Professional aid and assistance help professionals not only in a matter regarding the workspace but also regarding matters that may indirectly affect the performance of the employee. Intervention regarding substance abuse, mental health, and financial discomfort of employees are some of the ways a company can provide professional aid.

• Building Team Cohesion:

A subpar team mainly lacks the bond between teammates, the chemistry that helps create a better understanding and offers a friendly environment to work in. This aspect of development was previously ignored, but various studies have proven how a better team yields a better result.

•  Acknowledging Employee Success:

Employers who only focus on and highlight the shortcomings of the employees often don’t realize how they are demotivating the workers. Instead of doing that, a better approach is to acknowledge and celebrate the success of the employees before giving them constructive criticism.

•  Smart Recruitment and Mentoring:

A superior group of recruitment will be responsible for the long-term development of the company. So instead of hiring cheap laborers, investing in brilliant potential employees as early as their college time has proven more fruitful.

• Focusing on Overall Development:

It is impertinent to focus on the bigger picture for the development of the company because many times employers may have to make decisions that seem like a compromise or a step back. But ultimately, that move may increase the chance of successful development of the company in the end.

• Fostering Inclusive and Safe Company Culture:

The workplace environment is very crucial to the development of employees. Millennial workers are leaving workforces if they don’t find it welcoming and safe for their mental as well as physical well-being. Companies that harbor and safeguard discriminators and proprietors, will face a drastic loss in employees and client loyalty. It is high time, employers take these into consideration.

Bottoms Line:

At its very core, the success of a program or a company is dependent on the development of the employees which is also reliant on the learning and execution opportunities they are provided. When many still believe that the time and money spent on such training programs just add extra costs they cannot afford, time and time again the notion has been proven wrong.

Investing in employees creates a loyal and skilled set of workers who will not only be the finest of the profession themselves but also take their company with them to a higher level.  

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

• What is Training?

A training program is a learning program that improves the employee’s knowledge, development opportunities, and competencies. These could be by sales training. training on reducing employee turnover, training for engaged employees for career development, new employee training, compliance training, online training, in-house training, etc.

• What is the Difference between Training and Development?

Development is a more broad term that encompasses holistic growth and maturity in both the company as a whole and what it accomplishes. Developing processes is connected with insight, attitude, adaptation, leadership, and the relationship between humans and others.

• Why Training and Development are Important?

Employee training and development programs have been included in the agenda for their assistance to the growth of employees as well as the company.

• Is Training and Development a responsibility of HRM?

HRM has the responsibility to create improved methods for employees’ productivity with training and Development.

• How often should Training and Development Programs be Organized?

Employee training and development programs provide the company with tremendous benefits like reducing employee turnover, job satisfaction, new skills, etc. so these programs should be held as frequently as possible.