By Kori Rodley Irons
What's one of the first line items to get slashed when the company budget gets squeezed? It's training for employees that often ends up on the cutting room floor. Unfortunately, trained and energized employees are just what a company needs to stimulate growth and problem solve in the lean times. Here are some of the reasons whey employee training is so important...
The innovation, flexibility and dedication that are necessary to build truly dynamic companies come from well-trained and supported employees. One of the best ways to encourage and support individuals in your workforce is through professional development and training opportunities. As employees develop new skills, increase networking and represent the company out in the larger world, and develop leadership opportunities, the business work environment becomes infused with energy and creativity.
Sending employees to training opportunities, or bringing opportunities into the company, actually infuses a business with new ideas and creative ways of solving old problems. Sometimes, just getting employees out of the day-to-day grind of their everyday work schedule is enough to jump-start energy and encourage employees to recommit to their jobs and the company. But learning new skills and interacting with new and different people has a direct impact on the productivity and development of the work environment.
Trainings need not be expensive or last several days in order to be worthwhile. Workshops, classes and cross-training in other departments within the company can be as invigorating as expensive courses and conferences. Encouraging employees to learn all they can about the company--not just the department where they work--is one way to approach training. Providing individuals with information about accounting, production, marketing, or other aspects of the business can give them a good overall understanding of how all the pieces work together to contribute to the whole, as well as how their individual jobs or department fits into the whole, big picture.
Consider implementing or keeping regular training opportunities in place for employees. Training sessions that are once a week, or a month can be quite productive--giving employees something outside the ordinary work day to look forward to and encouraging a commitment to professional development and skill growth. While a dedication to keeping training opportunities alive and thriving within the company culture can be an expense of time and resources--the benefit in terms of qualified and energetic personnel is well worth it.
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