The two biggest challenges for companies in managing human resources are training employees to understand and realise their duties, and properly relaying the company’s mission and values.
Every employee has different needs, strengths and weaknesses. An employee might be excellent at performing his/her job, but may be lacking in managing time expertly. Another employee might be managing time perfectly and performing well at his/her job, but may be facing conflicts with his co-workers.
Identifying Training Needs
Employees have some common and some different training needs. For example, training in sales is a must for every employee engaged in sales. On the other hand, training in resolving conflicts can be a valuable asset for managers. Specific training needs must be met when reallocating duties and restructuring workloads. For best results, training needs must be identified according to the duties and individual needs of employees.
Benefits of Targeted Training
Targeted training is required when an employee or a group of employees needs to develop specific skills to increase efficiency or reduce errors. Targeted training is usually provided to one individual or a small group of employees. The training has a pre-determined goal that is fulfilled after the development of knowledge and skills during training. For example, a company that is implementing Lean Six Sigma needs its top management to have Black Belt certification in Lean Six Sigma while employees that only need to carry out orders can do with a basic understanding of Six Sigma.
Targeted training helps organisations eliminate errors and strengthen its workforce, which helps in increasing productivity and lowering costs. Accurately identifying short and long-term goals, as well as the weaknesses of employees, helps organisations provide the right training to the right people.
The results of targeted training are seen in:
- Improved efficiency
- Greater productivity
- Reduction in errors
- Smoothness in operations
- Enhanced employee retention
- Reduction in waste
- Greater professionalism
An important benefit of providing training to employees is that it makes them feel valuable and increases their commitment towards the organisation.
Benefits of Common Training
Every organisation needs both targeted and common training. With common training, training is provided in specific skill-building to a large group of employees to make organisational improvements. An organisation that has employees from different cultures will find training in handling workplace diversity essential for building better coordination among its employees.
The benefits of common training are seen in increased efficiency, better retention, faster adaptation to changing company needs, improved coordination, and enhanced motivation and commitment to fulfill the company’s goals and missions.
As human resources are the building blocks of every company, employee development is vital for a company’s growth. The benefits of investing in the training of employees reach an organisation’s work culture, the efficiency of its processes, and the quality of its products/services. Accurate, timely and professional training helps the growth of both the employees and the company.