Staff training is immediately dismissed by many companies – there’s not only the consideration of funding for training, but the impact on time too. You want your employees to be getting on with their jobs, rather than learning about something they already know.
But in many cases, a speedy induction for new team members isn’t enough. This can actually lead to more time and money being spent. Staff training is much more important and valuable than you may think. Here, we explore just some of the reasons why.
Providing Employees With Key Skills
Certain skills and knowledge are often necessary for specific careers. If your business is subject to regulatory requirements, such as health and safety, then employees that don’t have the adequate training put your business at risk. The skills and knowledge they’ll gain from staff training will also help them improve within their role, even if they’ve been doing it for a long time
Staff training builds confidence and provides the opportunity to address any weaknesses in team members. This gives them the time to work and improve upon their knowledge gaps. As well as this, with the right set of skills and knowledge, they’ll be less likely to make mistakes.
A Boost For Your Business
As staff will be better at their roles, they’ll be more efficient too. Stats show that 74% of UK workers feel they aren’t achieving their full potential at work and want to be given more training. With these opportunities for development in place, you’ll find that your organisation is more productive and your workers more fulfilled. This guarantees a return on your investment, and, with a reduced risk of mistakes, will result in more time and funds available to be spent on growing your business.
Your company’s reputation will also improve. Not only will you be providing a better offering, you can demonstrate that you’re meeting specific standards. In this way, staff training can be used as a sales and marketing tool. It may be the deciding factor for some potential clients, giving you a competitive advantage.
Nurturing Your Staff
Providing your team with training will help them to feel supported within their roles, as well as show that you care about their development. It’ll positively challenge them, making them more likely to stay at the company as they are more enthused and excited by their role. Research shows that those with professional development opportunities are 15% more engaged.
Retention will also be improved as members of the team feel valued. In the same piece of research, it was shown that, when staff can see a clear path of progression ahead of them, a business’ retention rates can increase by 34%. In addition, staff training can attract potential new team members and be advertised as a company benefit.
Developing Future Leaders
Employees’ careers will be enhanced by training, and this is often a step towards developing future leaders. As these learning programmes often lead to creativity, they give staff the chance to contribute more to the business within their roles, helping them to grow even further.
Staff training also allows you to identify which members within the organisation’s structure have the capability for increased responsibilities, making promotion decisions easier. Leaders can change the way your business is run for the better, meaning your position within the market will be stronger.
Protecting Your Business
If something goes wrong because a team member was inadequately trained, the results can be disastrous. This could be anything from an employee injury to complaints from customers, both of which can lead to legal action. The potential cost in both time and money could severely affect the state of your business.
Even seemingly more minor occurrences, like a poor customer service experience, can result in damage to your company’s reputation. Staff training will ensure that they’re fully aware of what their role entails, reducing the likelihood of these situations arising.
Types Of Training
The types of training you choose will depend on your business’ needs. You might opt for mentoring schemes, which are particularly effective for developing leaders. Your company may be able to offer in-house staff training, or instructor-led lessons could be preferable. The trainer can often visit your premises, which is especially useful when it’s impractical to learn away from the business’ site.
Some training requires individual study, and there’s blended options for a mix of online and classroom learning. Other types of training include on-the-job training (which has been proven to be the most effective), group discussions and activities, role-playing, and simulation exercises.
Funding For Training
Even with all the benefits that staff training provides, many are still put off by the price. You can select specific types of training to lower the costs – eLearning is almost always cheaper than using an in-person instructor, though only 15% of businesses found it to be one of the best methods. There is also training that can be done without outside help – allowing senior members of staff to mentor junior employees, for example.
Another way to reduce the cost of staff training is by providing apprenticeships. The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017, and helps businesses with funding for training, providing that the employees are apprentices. 83% of those who employ apprentices are reported to rely upon them to deliver the skills necessary for the future of their company.
If you’re considering offering staff training within your business, but don’t have the resources to do it in-house, Bright Direction Training can assist. So far, we’ve helped thousands of learners – from those training in leadership and management to door supervision for premises. Our courses are flexible to a company’s needs – contact us today to discover how we can meet yours.
