In these tough economic times, employers are looking for ever more cost effective ways to up skill, develop and retain their talent. Finding training that delivers a true benefit to the individual and the company can sometimes prove more challenging than you might imagine.
Often, employers are unsure as to the specific development needs of their teams, which can cause them to adopt a “sheep dip” approach to training. Whilst this may undoubtedly be more beneficial than no training at all, the impact of the training can sometimes lose momentum after the event.
This may be for a number of reasons;
- Did that individual actually need that training?
- Was there a direct link between the subject material and their day job?
- Was it pitched at the right level for them?
- Did anyone talk to them before and after the training about how they were going to put their new skills into practice?
These are common pitfalls which can lead to difficulty in seeing the personal and financial benefit of the training to the individual and to the company.
When considering training, the key is to adopt a systematic approach. Firstly, focus on identifying individual needs by measuring an employee’s performance against the requirements of their current or future role. This analysis can also draw upon business competencies, reviews and achievements against objectives to identify a tangible gap. These criteria help the employer to narrow down the specific training needs which may vary greatly from one employee to the next!
Once the training need is established and a solution is selected, the importance of a pre course conversation cannot be underestimated. This is an opportunity to find out exactly what the employee wants to achieve from the session and how this will improve their future performance.
Following the training, the most important (and often missed!) step is to evaluate. We sometimes wonder why a person’s performance doesn’t automatically improve as an immediate result of the training and yet often a follow up conversation never takes place! There are several stages to evaluation; an initial catch up after the training means that a solid plan of how to implement any new skills can be put into place. The second stage is then a further review around a month later with this as an ongoing process that can clearly also link into company appraisals.
So at Lander Associates, our top tips for nurturing your talent are to identify the specific training needs of each individual, select the correct course and ensure that you discuss its application both before and several times after the event!
Posted by Rachel Partington
New to Lander team Rachel Partington specialises in Building High Performing Teams, Nurturing Talent and Train the Trainer amongst others. She has been developing and delivering training for over 7 years. After working in Leisure and Retail Management, Rachel then moved into HR focusing on areas such as Recruitment, Training & Development and Coaching. She has also worked within a number of different industries such as Local Council, Retail, Engineering, Hospitality, Customer Service and Trading so is able to flex her style to the needs of the group as well as bring some fresh experience to the training room.
25/11/2011 at 2:05 am
Rachel you hit the nail on the head! Another angle to build on this, is to constantly check external customer expectations. What do candidates and clients want in terms of standards and service levels? This can impact training needs as much as the demanding economic climate can too.
Also, we are all aware that an engaged individual is a higher performer and providing constant personal development through coaching and training is a key factor in engaging your team.