In the present climate it can seem as though no employers are willing to invest in their employees. With the high risk of redundancy and lay offs it can seem as though employment is no longer a long term affair. Our parents may have left school or university and found employment with one firm for the rest of their life. Nowadays, though, we expect to move from job to job throughout our lives. In this climate employers can choose to find employees with all of the required training already under their belt. They rarely have to invest themselves, as there is such a competitive market for jobs.
With that said, there are plenty of advantages to training your staff. If you cultivate certain skillsets in your staff you will be certain to have competent staff that are trained in your house workstyle. You will also create a sense of loyalty. If employees feel that you are interested in their progress as professionals, then they are more likely to go the extra mile in their work. They are also likely to be committed to long term work at your business, meaning that you will retain vast amounts of knowledge. If you can afford it, investing in your employees can make your company an attractive place to work. But it can also be a way of maturing the processes of your work and business. If you are willing to create a sustainable environment for talent then you are sure to save money and time, whilst continuing to grow as an important and serious employer.
With that in mind, here are a few of our tip on how to invest in your employees.
Communications Training
There are plenty of courses and certifications out there which promise to improve the general communications skills of your staff. Many of these are worth investing in, as communication is one of the cornerstones of an efficient business. Think about all of the waste that you see happen every day as a result of miscommunication, and amplify that many times over. Money, time and effort are all wasted as a result of poor communication. If you can find training room for your staff, you can massively improve this situation.
Communications training will contribute to every part of your workforce. It is also a great way to contribute to the overall spirit of teamwork in your company, as many of the exercises will require practical thinking and a shared goal. There are many courses that will address the more general aspects of communications training. But it is also worth thinking about what specific needs each part of your business force has. The sales team might benefit from telephone conversation training. Your customer service force will generally need more flexible and advanced training.
Technology Training
Most members of the modern workforce will believe that they have a firm grasp on the fundamentals of technology. How many times have you read a prospective employee’s CV where they professed to be proficient with Excel, only to embarrass themselves in the interview or test? Many of your employees probably feel that they have a sufficient understanding of the basic programmes and technologies used around the office. But a lot of them will still have a lot to learn.
Technology will usually have a huge bearing on the day to day operation of your business. Even the smallest improvements will garner huge savings in the long run. This means that you should enforce a mandatory minimum amount of training in the technical workflow of your business operations. Not only will it create a sense that you care about the progress and growth of your employees, but it will also prove itself to be the mature choice in the long run.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution should not be an area of training reserved exclusively for when two members of your workforce are struggling with each other. Conflict resolution can be an integral part of what you should be achieving as a business. When you come across to conflicting proposals for a plan, resolution means finding and accepting the appropriate one. It means doing this without getting personal sentiments and emotions involved, and it means acting in a professional manner.
Conflict resolution can be a hard set of training to sell to your employees. They will immediately believe that you are saying that they are too argumentative or quick to anger. But there are plenty of constructive ways to frame the training in a more positive way. Conflict resolution can be integrated into the more basic aspects of your training package.
Further Degrees and Education
With your truly long term employees, you should strongly consider offering support for master’s degrees. This will serve a number of purposes in your business. It will primarily act as a long term process, demonstrating to employees that you are seriously about employment and personal growth. This will also make your business an attractive prospect to any potential applicants. In the long run, this will mean that you attract applications from some of the best talent in the business.
This may seem like a costly endeavor, and it can be. But it is also one of the best ways of creating a positive and proactive attitude between you and your workforce. As an employer, you should have heard the old adage that happy workers are better workers. In promoting and encouraging employees to partake in independent study you are truly demonstrating your commitment. They will see that you consider them to be not only a resource for your company, but an integral part of it and a key feature of what you offer.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, investing in your employees can be counterintuitive when you expect to focus on saving money and cutting costs. But if you’re a part of a business that can afford to think long term about its employees, then you’re sure to find that the expense of training will save you plenty in the long run. Shop around and ask clients and partners what their experience with training schemes has been. Remember most of all that your people are your product.