Ongoing training is one of those essential things that somehow gets swept under the rug.
There are several reasons professional growth and development training is beneficial for employees. But there are more benefits for companies that are often overlooked.
Regular training means building employees’ skills, which also builds skills within the business. Yes, this does present an upfront cost. But it improves your company’s bottom line.
The following is a list of benefits for ongoing professional growth and development. A little investment now means greater Return On Investment (ROI) down the line.
Keep Abreast of Industry Changes
In any industry, a business needs to keep up with changes or be left behind. This includes complying with changing industry regulations. Ongoing training is required, then, to keep your staff’s skills up-to-date and ahead of the game.
Take On Technology
Technology developments are nothing short of rapid fire. Regular training is a must to ensure that employees learn new software and systems.
One way is to integrate employee training with IT support. This ensures your people are working with their systems efficiently. Increased productivity means increased revenue.
Keep Ahead of the Competition
The fastest way to tank your bottom line is to fall behind your competitors. If your staff develop skills, your company moves and remains competitive.
Fill the Training Gaps
Regular training means you can better identify any skill gaps in your workforce. Identify gaps early so you can focus training to close the gaps. This empowers your people to perform well in their roles.
Maintain Skills
Training isn’t only for new hires. Training should enable your people to develop cross skills. Refresher training also keeps these skills current
Advance Employee Skills
Quite simply, staff who know more, bring more to every initiative. Your company only benefits. Spending the money to train the basic skills and beyond with increase your ROI. Period.
Provide Employee Incentive
Make training part of your company’s professional growth and development path. Your employees have the incentive to learn. They take part in the training and then put those skills into practice.
Increase Job Satisfaction
When a company invests in professional development, staff experience high job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is powerful motivation. Motivation reduces employee turnover and increases productivity. All this increases profitability. It also keeps competitors from luring your best employees away.
Internal Promotions
With professional development training, staff becomes eligible for internal promotions. This can offset recruitment costs and hiring fees for external candidates. And, existing staff already have a comprehensive knowledge of your company.
Attracting New Talent
A strong professional development program promotes your company’s image. Your company will attract better talent because of it.
Training and Development Strategy
Your training and development strategy is adapted to the needs of your organization. Any company’s training department develops or outsources training in any number of areas. These areas include communications, computer skills, and customer service, among others.
Professional development should also include training in quality initiatives and safety. Quality initiatives require basic training about quality concepts, guidelines, and standards for quality.
Safety training is critical for all companies. Employees can attend in-house safety training or go to seminars like the ASSE seminar. Either way, investing in safety training is practical and smart.
Professional Growth and Development for Your Organization
Comprehensive training for your employees improves your company on many levels. All of these levels equal increased ROI and revenue.
The next time the training budget appears on the agenda, consider adding funds to your training initiatives.
To read about trends in other industries, visit our blog.