In hard times the training budget is often the first thing to go, as many companies regard it as expendable. But this is almost certainly a bad move. A properly developed training policy can, in fact, save a company money, keep its skilled workers happy and leave it in better shape after the hard times end. There are no specific rules concerning the details of a training programme but what is vital is that a training policy must be totally aligned with an organisation´s business strategy. A policy is a commitment on behalf of an organisation – it is similar to a mission statement.
Setting up a training policy should not be very difficult if it is broken down into distinct areas such as goals, necessary skills, procedures and evaluation. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of companies that arrange training for staff and the number of days dedicated to training. There are, in addition, more and more human resources and training managers. Even directors are now actively encouraging better staff training policies.
Deciding on appropriate training will vary from company to company, but one thing that is necessary in all training is clear communication. Line managers must be heavily involved in deciding who should be sent on training courses. Senior management may produce policies, but these will not work without the involvement of line managers as they are aware of strengths and weaknesses of the employees who report to them.
Many people feel a generation gap exists where training is concerned. Those who left full-time education quite recently have grown up realising that life-long training and education will be part of their working lives. Those from an older generation who left full-time education before the 1990s never expected to have to go back to studying. They may even see the training as a waste of time if its relevance is not made clear. Many of them have done the same job in the same company for the whole of their working lives. Nowadays, younger employees know that the idea of a job for life has gone for good – something which few of them regret.
Employees increasingly feel that for any training they have undertaken it is important for them to receive some form of qualification that is widely recognised. They also want to know that, if they put in hard work over what may be a period of years, they will be doing something worthwhile. Above all they want to gain “portable” skills which they can take with them if their career path leads them elsewhere.
So what happens if a company invests time and money in training only for employee to move to a rival firm? The possibility of this happening should not deter any company from developing a training policy. In any case, training modules sometimes take three to four years to complete if done on a part-time basis. Companies will, therefore, be getting good value as the trainees will be applying what they have learnt to their work whilst actually training. Cautious firms, though, can always insert a clause in an employment contract to require employees to pay back a proportion of the training fees if they leave the company within a certain time frame.
