Employee training and development: a guide for HR managers

Staff training aims to enhance the skills and knowledge an employee needs to become more efficient in their current role or aspire to a more senior position. In other words, to encourage learning and development.

Idalberto Chiavenato, the renowned Human Resources Management expert and multi-published author, defines training, as this study explains, as “a means that develops the skills of people so that they can be more productive, creative and innovative, so that they contribute better to organizational objectives and become increasingly valuable. Thus, training is a useful source, because it allows people to effectively contribute to the results of the business,”
‍
John P Wilson, meanwhile, in Human Resource Development, cites the example of the Manpower Services Commission’sGlossary of Training Terms, which defines training as “a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behaviour through learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose, in the work situation, is to develop the abilities of the individual and to satisfy the current and future needs of the organisation.”

Wilson also points to the definition from the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, which describes it as “an activity or programme of activities designed to teach the skills and knowledge required for particular kinds of work”.
‍
Staff training is also sometimes referred to as reskilling and upskilling. The former involves training an employee so they can take on a different role within the organisation, while the latter, upskilling, aims to teach an employee new skills to optimise their performance. The benefits of reskilling and upskilling are akin to the advantages of training generally.

The last 30 years have seen sweeping change in the field of human resources. The HR manager, once a staff trainer, is now a learning facilitator.  And the employee, formerly a simple resource, has been reborn as a multifaceted company asset.

This change originated in the 80s and 90s with the emerging trend towards the “learning organisation”.  As development and training climbed the list of budget priorities, classrooms began to fill with workforces eager to stay up to date with the skills and knowledge required to secure their organisations’ success.

At that time, employee training needs were stored in a humble database, which listed the requirements of each position within the organisation. A world away from the sophisticated programs we have today.

However, technological advances gradually accelerated the process. First came multimedia CDs and archives. And a few years later, the internet landed, and online training eventually made its debut. Training suddenly became widely accessible and affordable. HR managers could even create courses themselves on videos stored in the cloud. On top of this, online training platforms arrived on the scene, placing expert knowledge at everyone’s fingertips.
‍
These developments triggered a change of mindset within companies towards continuous and personalised training. Each employee is constantly evolving and has the tools at their disposal to improve and grow professionally in line with their individual requirements.

Training is a key element of a company’s organisational culture, chiefly due to the rapidly changing nature of the markets. Something that works today might be completely obsolete tomorrow. Establishing continuous training processes therefore helps staff stay on the ball and adapt quickly to developments as they arise.

Theimportance of employee trainingis also closely tied to motivation. We all want to feel like we are doing our job well and that our bosses appreciate our efforts. Training incentives linked to development goals are therefore often very well-received by employees.

We have also seen, as thisLinkedin studyshows, that training addresses manifold personnel needs, sodeveloping an internal training programis now seen as indispensable.A company that invests in its people is not only more respected by its employees, but also by outside talent.

This is also the case with career plans. These are individual training schemes for each employee, focused on preparing them to climb the career ladder.Developing a companycareer planmotivates employees to grow and makes them feel more valued.

This goes hand in hand with thecompany's internal promotion plan, which sets out a series of milestones for an employee to reach in order to advance within the company.

This training, career plan and internal promotion triangle gives employees a clear view of their path through the company and the steps they need to take at each stage to achieve their goals.

There are many different methods for implementing a company staff training program. But whichever one you choose, you can be confident of substantial benefits.

Employee benefits

Employee benefit highlights include:

Company benefits

On the other hand, training helps companies:

Staff training must be targeted at a series of goals, just like any other business activity:

Ensure an individual is suitable for the position

Each job role in a company has responsibilities that require specific skills or expertise. Training is vital to ensure these professional needs are met.

Hit targets

Whether they are individual or business objectives, training provides the tools workers need to reach set goals. It reinforces any weak areas identified to help employees reach the requisite level. Consequently, it is imperative that the HR department aligns training plans with the agreed targets.

Attract and hold on to talent

Training also plays an important role in the employer brand image. Employees tend to take a positive view of organisations that invest in employee development and growth. This not only helps retain talent, but also attracts external candidates.

Promote a mindset of change within the organisation

Continuous training is a synonym for evolution and constant change. Promoting a culture that welcomes change makes it easier for the company to introduce new developments and for staff to adapt to different circumstances.

There are different types of employee training, which we will look at in two groups:

Training methods

Funding options

Employee training and developmentbudgets are extensive. They usually include all the program costs (content, materials, operation costs), as well as the labour cost to cover the hours employees spend attending the course. Usually, we also include other expenses such as the program design and build and tech requirements.

With this in mind, how much do companies spend on employee courses and training? According to thisarticle, American companies allocate$7,420 per year per employee. However, these figures vary depending on the size of the company and the employee’s specific job function.

A budget analysis study carried out by the Brandon Hall Group found that the larger the organisation, the smaller the spend per employee. Solarger organisations spend $780 less than medium-sizedcompanies and $1,776 less than small ones.

It also observed thatexperience and seniorityimpact on training spend.  High-level and mid-level employees received an equivalent of $9,427 annually in training, while mid-level workers received $9,036.

This graph explains the differences:

Source: Brandon Hall Group

The Coassemble website (see link above) also lists themost popular types of training, and therefore, where organisations are spending the most money.

Budgets are split as follows:

Source: Brandon Hall Group

• Technical skills: as we can see, technical skills are the most popular as they are acquired via education and training and require significant experience to become proficient. They are also known as hard skills.
• Leadership: an important skill for current and future leaders. Leadership training aims to improve decision-making, team motivation, people management, etc.
• Compliance: this type of information provides guidance on the  rules, regulations, policies and procedures they put into practice in their day-to-day work. An example would be the relevant safety standards for carrying out a certain task.
• Team development: the aim of team development is to improve cohesion between people and ultimately help them to work better together. This also applies to directors or positions with greater responsibility. This is key to the organisation working efficiently.
• Product or service: product or service training is critical, especially for sales teams. If they do not know a product’s specifications and characteristics inside out, there’s no way they can sell it.
• Soft skills: the soft skills that make up a person’s character. We’re talking about empathy, for example, or the ability to communicate effectively, etc. They are difficult to develop and evaluate, but they can be improved.

According to L. van Gelder and colleagues, the authors of “Didactic Analysis”, there is alearning methodcalled the “Pedagogical Analysis”. This first step in this model is to define the starting point and current expertise, from which learning objectives are then established. This information then guides the training topics, learning methods and activities. The eventual results are monitored and evaluated and, depending on the results achieved, the objectives will be reviewed again.

So, using this model as a basis, we can identity four stages of the training process:

1. Training needs analysis

The first stage involves setting out the starting position, analysing the employee’s current skills and recording any training needs identified. In this way, we ensure employees are acquiring new skills and abilities that will be useful for their current role or a future position.
‍
The training goals are usually related to the business objectives. So, reviewing the business strategy and goals at this stage is standard practice.

2. Setting learning goals

The next step is to convert the training needs into learning goals. A training goal should be three things:

• Specific
• Related to effective performance
• Measurable

In this way, the goals help design an effective training program targeted at improving workers’ skills.

3. Method choice and content design

It is time to make a decision about the training topics, teaching methods and activities that will take place. This is normally done by an external provider or trainer, and ideally with the student’s participation.

At this stage we usually also decide on the training techniques, learning pace, the training location and many other important factors.

4. Monitoring and training

The last phase of the learning process is follow-up and evaluation. This is when we analyse the learning objectives in relation to the results achieved to measure the training’s effectiveness. It can also be a good time to measure the training ROI; that is, the financial return generated.

The link between performance reviews and career plans or training is evident when we understand how they depend on each other. The performance review is an essential step to determine an employee’s starting position, identify their strong points and areas for improvement and, finally, establish training needs.

With this information we can design a personalised, and therefore effective, career or training plan. If, on the other hand, we don’t know which areas need improvement, the training will not have the same effect.

So, performance reviews should always comprise the first step of any plan related to an employee’s professional development. This process will give us the information we need to proceed with confidence.

A training plan contains the set ofactions designed to enhance an employees’ expertise and abilities. They are usually devised, as we have seen, on the basis of performance reviews to personalise the training proposal as much as possible.

How do you develop a company training plan? Here is our step-by-step guide:

1. Identify company needs

A training plan contains the set of actions designed to enhance an employees’ expertise and abilities. They are usually devised, as we have seen, on the basis of performance reviews to personalise the training proposal as much as possible.

2. Set the program goals

Try to align training goals with company objectives and set clear targets. This step is crucial if we want to evaluate how effective courses have been at a later date.

3. Involve the employees

If the team is part of the concept and planning process it is much more likely to be motivated by the training, which will boost the chances of success.

4. Create useful, personalised and appealing experiences

Design attractive and personalised training experiences by using new learning methods like gamification. This will help get your employees more involved in the process.

5. Plan the training

The planning stage involves elements such as who will deliver the training, where will it take place, how long will it take, etc. Make sure the logistical side is all wrapped up.

6. Take control of the results

Finally: how do you evaluate a training plan? Analyse the training results in relation to the goals set at the start. This will help to introduce modifications in the training plan to encourage continuous improvement.

In the changing world in which we live, learning and professional development strategies are constantly evolving. Companies are beginning to abandon the outdated idea of fixed courses for the whole workforce in favour or personalised, dynamic and online training.
‍
We have identified the following current trends in the field of employee training:

• Companies have started to involve their senior members in training processes to create an effective learning culture that comes from above. If the team leaders understand the value of training, they will motivate their employees by example.
• In general, investment in training is on the rise as companies are increasingly aware of its importance and positive impact on the company. We know that employee training does not have to involve huge spending; today there are many online materials free of charge. However, the more you invest, the better the results.
• Online staff training has become a trend in itself due to the COVID-19 crisis. During these months of social distancing and telecommuting, companies have opted to continue offering training to their employees via online platforms.
• Personalised training experiences are also becoming very important.  A one-size-fits-all approach to employee training is unrealistic, so organisations are opting to create unique and exclusive plans for each worker.