An establishment’s primary driving force is its employees. They populate the workforce and make sure that the daily operations are accomplished. It’s not an understatement to say that without its people, any community or company effort will fail.
However, one cannot fully expect that only skilled people will join your team. Does this mean you should close your doors to those who do not meet your requirements? Not necessarily, after all, everyone can be trained, and anyone can learn. Many with great potential but lacking the experience, and simply creating a criterion of experience prevents you from finding standouts and exceptionally talented ones from joining your team. Here are a few reasons training and development are valuable assets in your community, company, or any group-related effort.
Addresses Potential Weaknesses and Builds on Strengths
Just as training arms the employees with the skills necessary to execute the tasks correctly, actual practice and practical application can also show weaknesses. Mistakes in training are easier to rectify (and much cheaper) and allow the company to address an employee’s weakness or even turn it into a strength. The flip side of this is also true, as training can also demonstrate your staff’s strengths. It’s best to build on these strengths, as ignoring them is simply a waste of skills. Practical training during the first phase of their experience will prepare them better for an actual live setting versus simply lectures and then being sent to the fires.
Better In-field Performance
Not everyone who comes in will be armed with the necessary skill sets to perform at a high level. Not even the ones which show potential can be expected to turn in results immediately.
However, what can be done is to provide them with the tools that will facilitate a good performance. Teaching the fundamentals of the business operations, making them understand the philosophy and execution of the company, and allowing them to settle into the role will help make their performance better, and this is something that training provides.
Reduces Turnover Rate
Staff leaves because of dissatisfaction, and much of this dissatisfaction stems from unmet expectations. While one can chalk it up to a manager being over-bearing and pressuring their employees too much, one should also realize that this is very much preventable. When taught the important skills and provided the time to hone their craft, dissatisfaction from not meeting expectations will lessen, leading to better staff retention.
Fosters a Culture of Innovation and Creativity
When everyone has a similar set of fundamentals, with their strengths and qualities layered on top, the result will be a creative and innovative culture that supports thinking out of the box. See that your employees understand and appreciate the skills provided to them. This will allow them to hone and improve on them. Eventually, these skills will become second-nature, allowing for creativity in approach. Trusting that your staff knows what they’re doing will help cultivate a culture of collaboration, resulting in more imaginative ideas and more innovative approaches to problems and situations.
Ideas to Remember When Training Staff
Set Clear and Concise Goals
During piano lessons, your instructor will not just teach you what the keys are. They will also teach you what keys form a primary song. A student is provided with the tools. They’ll also understand what the tools are for, and most importantly, what can be done when these tools are used together. Utilize goal-setting to provide a target for your trainees. This method allows them to consciously work towards a goal instead of training mindlessly without a clear path in mind.
Continue Coaching after Training
Training doesn’t end after a two-week nesting period. Training and development is a continuous process, and if resources permit, it should be refreshed after a few months or so. While it’s vital to coach new hires and rookies continuously, it’s also essential to not neglect tenured employees. Continue training them, updating them with innovations in the process, provide them with the skills and tools to make work more efficient. At the end of the day, everyone benefits from more training.
Allow Mistakes
Failure is a certainty—and that’s not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it’s a great learning tool and, when done in the correct format, can help you fix mistakes and address issues. As mentioned before, practical training is crucial to develop their skills and address their weaknesses. However, keep in mind that even in a live application, they will still make mistakes, and it’s best not to hold it against them as they will only improve moving forward.
