Designing Digitally
09/26/2018
Providing ongoing training to employees is critical to keep your business ahead of the competition. The business environment has changed rapidly over the years and continues to be dynamic. If you have to survive in a competitive realm, you need to upgrade your employee skills frequently. It is true that employees learn on the job. But, there are several advantages in providing them training opportunities proactively. Here are just a few.
In an organization, knowledge capital refers to the sum of all the skills and information possessed by the employees. Companies should invest in enhancing their knowledge capital. It gives them an edge over their competitors. You need to identify the skill gap and then customize the training to suit the specific needs of your learners. When your employees are well trained, they strive to keep you at the top.
The modern workforce values training opportunities. So much so that some have rated it higher than material benefits. They realize that upskilling is the only way to stay relevant in the ever-changing industry. The more valuable the training opportunities you offer them, the happier they are. And happy employees are productive ones. They feel relevant and it shows in their job. When they are trained, they are able to carry out their regular tasks more effectively and efficiently, translating into higher revenues.
When you hire people, you try to fit their skill sets into the relevant job role. It may happen that they are very good at the task you hire them for. But, they may have the aptitude for some other tasks too. With a little training, they can perform both tasks at the same level. This is a win-win situation. The employee likes to be offered more responsibility and growth. And, as an organization, you will not need to hire two separate people to complete the tasks your dually-trained employee can complete within one role.
Technology changes practically overnight. Just a decade ago, very few people used laptops. But, now almost everyone has one. How many people imagined that they could work and learn on-the-go, or shop at the click of a button? Look at us now. We depend on our mobile devices and the Internet for pretty much everything we do. It’s important to utilize this growth in technology use in the most advantageous ways. There has been an evolution in cutting-edge technology too – VR, AR, IoT to just name a few. An ongoing training program will ensure that your employees are up to date with these technologies and use it to do their job better.
When you offer training opportunities to your employees, they feel appreciated and cared for. They realize that the organization is invested in their development. So, they remain loyal to the organization. Loyal employees are an asset to the organization. There is far less turnover. And, employee churn can be really expensive.
Induction and onboarding training is the basic foundation of the ongoing learning process. If you expect your employees to be an asset, then you need to analyze their learning needs regularly, identify gaps, and provide them with relevant training to close the gaps. The better skilled your employees are, the higher they deliver.
As an organization, you need to invest in a structured plan to ensure that your employees are trained regularly. You may decide to hire a vendor to take care of your regular training needs. But, before that, you should be clear about your requirement. Spend time to understand which skills your employees are interested in developing and why. The training that you provide them should be transferable to their current job role. You also need to consider the frequency of the training. It is good to have as many sessions as possible. But, employees should not feel overwhelmed by attending the sessions or have their work days lengthened by required training. You must also be open to the mode of delivery. Not all training sessions need to be face-to-face. Elearning can be just as effective. It is ideal to create a blended learning strategy.
Designing Digitally, Inc. specializes in interactive elearning that keeps the learners motivated. Every custom elearning program is created keeping your learner needs and brand in mind.
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