The importance of training and development
There are many similarities between a successful business owner and a successful football coach. At the beginning of the season, the coach must review their list of players and determine what role each person should play for the team. The coach can only do this once they have analysed each player’s strengths and weaknesses. Next, the coach will determine what kind of training regimes will help each player perform at their best and fulfill their potential. Often, this means tailoring specific approaches for individual players. Once players feel that they have the required skills and knowledge, they are more confident in their ability and will contribute to team success. A successful business owner or manager needs to see the training and development of their employees in the same way. Only through proper training and development of staff can a business find sustainable success.
There are many benefits of effective training and development programs. First, through the provision of training and development plans, employees will be sure of their roles and responsibilities. They will know what is expected of them and they will an understanding of how they can successfully contribute to your business. Second, through professional learning opportunities, owners and managers are able to further develop the knowledge and skills of their employees. This adds value to the company as employees with better skills and more comprehensive abilities will be more productive and effective. Finally, if employees feel that they are being supported and well-trained, they will also feel a closer connection to their jobs, purpose in their responsibilities and sense of pride in the company. In this way, development and training can be seen as crucial strategy for earning loyalty from your staff.
However, some small businesses tend to mismanage their training and development methods. Many companies often find that their staff are not adequately trained, whether in sales, customer service or knowledge of their products. One common mistake occurs when managers send an employee on a short training course as a stop-gap measure to ‘fix’ an issue. The employee attends training session and then reports to their manager who asks them if it was useful. The employee says that the training was relevant and interesting, yet weeks later, the original behaviours are still being observed. Why? Because far too often, the wrong people are being trained in the wrong skills and processes. There is no assessment of knowledge and skills and no on-going commitment to learning. There is no observation, no feedback and no coaching. The challenge for you is to ensure that your training and development plan is effective and covers all elements of your business’ operations. It is also ideal if your training resources link directly to your company’s performance management processes.
Why use Beyond HR for your training and development needs?
Just as the coach from our earlier analogy employs assistant coaches, sometimes business owners and managers also have to ask for outside assistance. The psychology of learning is complex and the best training programs are ones that are developed by experts in consultation with businesses. And that is exactly what Beyond HR will do. We work alongside you to assess your employees’ skills and understanding of their roles and to create tailored developments plans based on those assessments. Our learning programs incorporate a diverse range of teaching methods including blending learning and carefully structured workshops. We will also define specific and measurable learning outcomes to ensure the effectiveness of the training of your teams. At Beyond HR, we recognise the importance and benefits of uniquely designed training and development programs which meet the HRM needs of your workplace.
What makes us different?
At Beyond HR, our focus is you. Our approach is practical and specific to the unique context of your organisation. We are only interesting in delivering meaningful training and development programs which add value to your business and employees. Whereas other HR coaches, companies or agencies will stop working once their programs are delivered, Beyond HR won’t stop working until we have help your business achieve tangible change and growth.