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Training and Development

Training and development involve improving the effectiveness of organizations and

the individuals and teams within them.

A training program gives everyone the opportunity to strengthen those skills.

This helps ensure that everyone is up to par and can perform their job day in and
day out.
With proper training and development, weakness can turn into strengths and your
employees can excel.

Training leads to better processes and business growth. In today’s ever-changing

marketplace, the importance of job training has never been greater.
Workforce training is an indispensable way to keep your organization competitive.
Employees are human, most will have weaknesses or gaps in their professional
skills.
Furthermore, most professional people are specialists of one kind or another.
Much of what goes on in your organization is likely to fall outside of the training
each individual worker already has.

Having a high quality and comprehensive employee training development program

enables you to strengthen the skills your workforce does possess as well as to build
up knowledge where it is lacking.

An employee training development program will bring all the staff up to a higher
standard of competency so that your entire team can share a common set of
knowledge and skills.

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Such a program will repair any weak links that may exist in your organization and
cause the workload to be more evenly spread among your workers.

By providing ongoing workforce training, you will enable one employee to pick up
where another left off, keeping them all on the same page without having to
provide constant help and supervision.

The importance of employee training to an organization should never be

underestimated.

And, ongoing training can be thought of as the best insurance policy against all sorts
of the inevitable changes and the unforeseeable needs that will arise in your
organization from time to time.

The benefits of training on an ongoing basis also includes the maintenance of team
cohesion, the creation of a common mindset and a shared vocabulary.

As with learning, in general, the benefits of training your team are a challenge to
enumerate.

There are, however, several clear benefits.

Ongoing training will…

 Enable your team to respond to technological changes that can affect their
job requirements.

 Help workers respond to the changes that come from organizational

restructuring.

 Give them the ability to adapt to changes resulting from increased diversity
in the workforce.

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 Work to facilitate career development.

 Help to meet your employee’s need for continued growth.

Why Training is Important

 Companies that invest in employee training have highly engaged employees
and see 24% higher profits than companies that don’t focus on training.

 CSO Insights found that effective sales training can help new reps meet quota
up to seven weeks faster than the industry average.

 The Aberdeen Group found that companies with successful sales training
programs have 32% higher team quota attainment, 24% better individual rep
quota attainment, and 23% higher lead conversion.

 In a study by QATC, employees noted that the top reason they decide to
leave a company is the lack of employee training and development.

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The Objectives of Training

Every business should strive for higher productivity, quality improvement, the
reduction of learning time, industrial safety, the reduction of turnover, and strive
to establish and maintain an effective management team.

These are the objectives of training and development in an organization.

There are a myriad of ways companies can do this and, no matter what it is you are
doing, chances are T&D are a part of it.

Here are just a few of the objectives of training.

Impart job-related knowledge to staff

Whether it is on the job entry-level training or training aimed at adapting to

changing economic, political, and technological climates- the purpose of workforce
training is to enable your employees to better do their jobs.

Impart skill knowledge systematically

The organization of training events is generally done in a group setting, using

teams, groups, or communications technology to reach the largest number of
employees simultaneously and to do it in a way that is educationally sound.

Improve the productivity of the workers and the organization

A central concern for any organization, whether or not it is for profit, is productivity.

It is a rare situation indeed where efficiency is not desirable, and where more
efficiency is not even more desirable.

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Improve safety standards

No one wants to work in an unsafe environment.

Improving safety in the workplace can improve productivity and prevent all
varieties of losses, human, and capital.

To enhance equipment handling practices

By instilling the correct methods for the use of workplace equipment, training can
reduce injuries, lessen the damage, and improve efficiency.

Using the process known as smart objectives training teams can help to ensure
their programs have the best chance of fulfilling all of these objectives.

Training and development of employees should be:

 Specific: Your goal is direct and detailed.

 Measurable: The objectives are quantifiable to track progress and success.

 Achievable: The list of training objectives are realistic and you have the tools
needed to attain them.

 Relevant: Training goals align with your company’s mission.

 Time-Oriented: Your goals also have a deadline or specific milestones in

place.

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The Difference Between Training and Development

Sometimes known as ‘learning & development,’ the main difference between
training and development is that training is generally focused on the acquisition of
new skills, while development is concerned with the improvement or extension of
existing skills.

So, we rarely think about development alone since, without training, there aren’t
any skills to develop.

That is because training and development are the primary ways to improve
individual, group, and company performance.

The Goals of Training and Development

 Improve efficiency
 Improve team morale
 Improve human relations
 Reduce supervisory needs
 Improve organizational flexibility and viability

The training and development process

 Determine your company’s training needs and wants.

 Decide what are your desired results.
 Set out clear types of training objectives
 List clear summaries of your objectives.
 Choose optimal T&D methods.
 Know your training options and select the right ones.
 Implement programs.
 Set up and execute your training programs.
 Evaluate programs.
 Have adequate evaluation methods in place and execute them.

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It is important to understand what is involved in the implementation of any

employee training and development program.

Understand that workforce T&D means change.

Be sure that your organization is ready for the improvements that your workforce
will want to execute after their training is complete.

They must have the authority and resources to use their new skills. Qualified
trainers must be available to perform the required training.

And these trainers need to understand what your company’s objectives are.

The main purpose of training is to produce a positive change in the functioning of

an organization.

As applied to the individual, it amounts to an upgrade to that person’s knowledge

or skills.

As it applies to a team, training incorporates organizational and communication

elements that can multiply your team’s productivity dramatically.

The benefits of training and development

Now that we know what the differences between training and development are,
it’s time to discuss the real reasons why we are so interested in the importance of
training.

When it comes down to it, there are a ton of benefits of training and development
for employees.

Often, it is easy to overlook these benefits because it just seems like training takes
too much time and effort.

Additionally, many companies do not track their training efforts so they really do
not see the benefits of training programs.

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But, those that do track their training programs see clear benefits of training and
development in the workplace.

The benefits of training in an organization can be as broad and profound as the

imaginations of those who receive training in the first place.

Some of the Benefits of Training are as Follows

Address weaknesses and skill gaps

It is inevitable that employees will have some type of weaknesses in their

workplace skills.

The good news is there is always room for improvement.

A training program gives everyone the opportunity to strengthen those skills.

This helps ensure that everyone on your team is up to par and can perform their
job day in and day out.

With proper training and development, weakness can turn into strengths and your
employees can excel.

Improve Performance

Once weaknesses are turned into strengths, your employees will really have the
chance to improve their performance.

Training gives everyone a great understanding of their responsibilities and the

knowledge and skills they need to do that job.

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This will enhance their confidence which can also improve their overall
performance.

Additionally, they will know the in’s and out’s of their role and your company to
the point where they can come up with strategy ideas and help other teammates
improve.

Foster Growth

The bottom line of any business is financial growth. If one could do it alone, there
would be no need for a workforce.

And every workforce must be trained.

The better the training, the better your company’s growth.

Your most valuable employees are ambitious and have room to grow.

By giving them the training they need to maximize their skills, they will be able to
fill out those hard to reach goals that only the most talented and dedicated
employees can.

Enhance Satisfaction

By investing in training, companies show their employees that they are valued and
that they matter.

Because training gives employees access to information they would not have had
access to, they feel rewarded with a sense of satisfaction that employees at
corporations with poor training programs tend to lack.

This goes a long way in making employees feel appreciated and satisfied with their
careers.

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Increase Consistency

An effective training program ensures that employees have a consistent experience

and background of knowledge.

This consistency is extremely important when it comes to understanding processes,

products, or services.

For example, a robust customer service training program ensures that your agents
and reps are more likely to deliver a consistent experience to customers.

Or, for a sales team, this means that everyone knows how to deliver a great first
demo.

This is a great way to make sure all employees are aware of the expectations and
best practices of their team.

Reduce Turnover

Employee turnaround costs you time and money.

By training your staff proactively, you can improve their confidence and their
abilities.

Fewer mistakes will be made, so fewer people will have to be fired as a result of
accidents.

Frustration levels will be lower.

And you will develop a team of experts that you and your team can be proud of.

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Enhance Company Reputation and Demand

A strong training program is a great way to improve your company’s brand and
reputation.

Employees want to have access to ongoing training and development

opportunities.

So, by offering different types of training, your company is likely to attract new
talent.

Additional Benefits

 Increased productivity

 Employee confidence is built, developing key performers, team organization

& morale.

 Employees are kept current on developing information, further contributing

to improved customer service.

 Employees are updated on new, enhanced skills and advanced methods.

They will use what they learn to further your business goals and objectives.

 Companies can receive a fresh professional perspective.

 Job satisfaction, employee motivation, and morale are increased, reducing

employee turnover.

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 Processes gain efficiency

Types of Training
There are probably just as many possible kinds of training as there are subjects to
learn and people to teach.

 Skills training: focuses on job-related knowledge used for new hires &
correcting performance defects.

 Retraining: for the maintenance and updating of worker knowledge used for
technological innovation & intra-organizational changes.

 Cross-functional training: to generate skill-redundancy in the workforce so

that employees can perform in a wider variety of capacities. This is used for
flexibility in scheduling & enhanced coordination

 Team training: for self-directed teams to develop; management skills,

coordination skills, and cross-functionality.

 Creativity training: uses innovative teaching and learning methods in order

to enhance workforce ability to generate new and innovative ideas and to
discover novel approaches.

 Literacy training: used to improve the basic skills of a workforce in reading,

writing, mathematics, and effectiveness habits such as punctuality,
cooperation, and responsibility.

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 Diversity training: utilizes advanced sociological findings to instill awareness,

respect, and acceptance of persons of a different gender, race, religion,
background, etc.

 Compliance training: mandated by legislation to educate your team on laws

or regulations specific to their job or industry. Good compliance training
prioritizes the health and safety of your employees.

 Security training: helps teams act in a secure and safe way to protect their
company from fraud or malicious activity from others.

 Sales training: enables reps to build relationships, improve negotiation skills,

and manage a sales pipeline.

 Customer service training: to improve customer relations, communication,

response time, and response quality in order to enhance customer
satisfaction

In addition to different types of training, there are also different types of training
delivery methods.

These include:

 Online learning: Team members access training through online training

software.

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 Coaching: Employees receive coaching and feedback from their manager or

trainer.

 Hands-on practice: This gives employees the chance to practice applying a

skill or knowledge in a simulated environment or practice scenario.

 Role playing: A group of team members come together to role play through
a common situation that they will face in their job.

 Classroom / group training: Usually, led by an instructor, this type of training

brings people into one location for live training.

Different Types of Training Methods

Depending on the needs and resources of your organization, you will need to
choose the method for your training.

They may be web-based, in the classroom, or on-hand. Your choice will depend on
the following factors.

 List of training objectives: It is important to remember the purpose of your

training objectives and what you really want to accomplish.

 The time available: Deciding on completing a training in a matter of a few

days, weeks, or months.

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 Cost of training: Will you need to bring in an outside trainer or subject

matter expert? If you complete training in-person, will you need to pay for
your employees to travel?

 The level of the participant’s understanding: Is this topic or subject

relatively new for learners? Or, do they have a basic understanding of what
training will cover?

 The size of your group: Do you need to provide training to a small group of
employees or your entire team?

 The available facilities: Will a conference room at your office hold everyone
who needs to attend training? Or, does everyone have their own computer
for online training?

Types of training ppt are available from many different sources and can be a handy
reference guide when designing a training program.

But it is important to be as flexible and open-minded as possible when designing

your programs in a way that best suits the training needs of your unique workforce.

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Employee Development Ideas

There are a number of widely recognized and good employee training and
development ideas.

But the best employee development ideas for your company will depend on the
nature of your organization, the character of your staff, the resources you have
available, the limits of your creativity and the power of your imagination.

The Basics
Well-designed training programs maximize learning before, during and after
instruction.

An effective program includes orientation, classroom instruction, and on-the-job

training, which is also known as blended learning.

Online instruction is an increasingly sensible option that enables your employees

to learn at a customized pace with unlimited access to the learning material.

Self-directed Learning
This training style allows individual employees to control their own learning,
accommodating different learning styles and encouraging personal ownership of
the learning process.

This approach also enables many employers and employees to develop a personal
development plan or learning contract.

It is signed by both parties, and should clearly outline the learning goals at the
outset.

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Cross-training & Job Rotation

Job rotation moves employees through different positions.

The rotation can last hours, months or however long is needed to develop
competence.

Cross-training is a variety of job rotation where an employee learns the skills of a

different position without necessarily holding responsibility for the position being
learned.

These approaches can prepare workers for promotion, rejuvenate teams, and
enhance communication.

Job Aids
Job aids include checklists, flow charts, wallet cards, tip sheets, pictures posters,
code lists, and diagrams- any item that offers instant reminders or help.

They can reduce the amount of memorization required of employees by providing

easy access to important facts.

The best job aids are concise, simple, and effectively utilize graphics for easy
interpretation.

Training
The End

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