Every year I see organizations determined that this coming year they will create greater success and achieve more. I certainly hope so. However, many are the same organizations that fail to invest in their employee’s development yet have any skills development plans. The best organizations will define the skills needed to achieve their goals and objectives and drive their initiatives and define them within their personnel. They will have Development Plans and training plans laid out to ensure they invest. More importantly, they have defined the right employees to invest in. Employees that are hungry for growth and open-minded to learn.
When asked by a client if I could train their staff I asked if their staff was ready for training. This question was a surprise to the client. To me, it is a matter of integrity when working with clients for them to understand that the most effective training is for those to be trained to be ready, hungry, and open-minded. Through each training, we certainly provide assessment and feedback on those being trained and follow up support, and successful organizations follow up and take the lead. However, successful organizations take the lead before the training. Therefore, they define who needs what training and if from the leadership perspective those individuals who are ready and have earned it. Development is a reward, as well as a necessity, and the individual that demonstrates the drive will advance.
The right development plans and training pay for themselves. They save on attrition and the cost of constant rehiring and foundational training. They save on motivation and morale that drives higher results. Recently I encountered an organization that by practice, places new hires on a two-year contract and with the practice then pursues the candidates who will take a lower salary and they have little to no investment in that new hire over those two years. They were surprised that when they surveyed their employee’s staff that 87% were dissatisfied with their employment and have plans to leave when their contract is up. The organization’s short-sightedness is costing them morale, motivation, and productivity. Had they built a vision of hiring candidates whom they might have to pay a higher salary and built a program where they invest in the new hires and other employees, they will have increased morale, motivation, and productivity. I have no problem with a 2-year contract program as that may be relative to the industry and upfront program cost, but the right environment would have employees that want to stay, and even sign a new contract. All this would drive success throughout that have a beneficial effect on the bottom line.
So, which one are you? Do you bring in trainers because leadership fails to train them, or do you bring in trainers as a reward for those wanting to learn, develop and advance and leadership has them ready with their stamp of approval? Will this year be different?
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