A company doesn’t achieve success without being intentional about it. This includes ensuring that the right people are in the right positions. It also means your entire team should receive the training required to thrive. While there are instances when in-house training is prudent, it’s often more effective to seek outside help. There’s no doubt that corporate training is a requirement when you want to go to the next level. Let’s explore in greater detail why and when outside training is needed.
Current Training Is Inconsistent
Whether it’s training for the purpose of efficiency or to learn about a new technology, it should happen on a regular basis. If your current training program is inconsistent, that’s a good sign that you need outside help. Training should be scheduled in advance and occur at least quarterly. There are some instances when additional training is needed and self-directed resources will suffice. However, there’s greater value in group training because of the synergy that’s developed and the opportunity to build morale.
One of the reasons why training is sometimes inconsistent is because a company doesn’t have the resources to facilitate effective training on a regular basis. In fact, spending human resources on training based on legacy knowledge is not always the best strategy. An outside trainer can free up those resources. There are some exceptions, such as the training that’s required for new hires. This is when internal training resources are most appropriate.
Opportunities for Improvement Exist Companywide
The purpose of training is to address weaknesses that exist within the team, which will ultimately have bottom line results. Another benefit of training is that it can reveal areas where improvement is needed, especially during intensive corporate training sessions. There are some topics that can have an immediate and tremendous impact on productivity. Other topics can help to improve the corporate culture. There are also training topics that are necessary because they satisfy regulations and are part of compliance initiatives.
Regardless of your industry, there are always opportunities for improvement and professional development that could be addressed with the help of an outside trainer. Sometimes there are training topics that aim to resolve challenges that exist in the organization. For instance, if there is a problem with collaboration, a customized training program can be developed to solve that problem. By designing a comprehensive training program that touches on different topics, you can meet the needs of your team throughout the year.
Employee Morale is Low
This may be one of the most areas for which training is needed in most companies. It’s because low employee morale can affect every aspect of a business and even determine whether or not the company is profitable. The reason why low employee morale can be pervasive is because it tends to expand, especially when there are pressing issues that have not been addressed appropriately. Corporate training on methods for improving emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills can make a big difference. Studies have show that training on a consistent basis improves morale.
Productivity Levels Are Falling
If productivity levels are falling, there’s no doubt that training is necessary. Whether it’s employee development in the area of Lean Six Sigma principles to streamline processes or training to cultivate creativity for the purpose of sharing new idea, low productivity levels cannot be ignored. As training in this area is provided, you can literally track the improvement, which will enable you to identify the return on your investment. The metrics gathered can be used for choosing future training topics.
The bottom line is that training is beneficial in more ways than one and should remain a priority. Companies that get outside help for training have employees that are more motivated and efficient. Something else to consider is that blended learning is an option if you’re trying to accommodate a diverse workforce with different schedules and varied training needs. Blended learning can be more cost effective and it can make it easier to meet the needs of a geographically dispersed team. It also allows employees to complete training at their own pace so that it does not interfere with their ability to complete job assignments.
