Many companies see training as a luxury, meaning it is often one of the first areas companies cut back on when their budgets come under pressure.
So says Ansie Snyders, head of training at Sage VIP, who notes there is not yet enough appreciation of the important role training and development has to play in driving business growth and executing business strategy.
"As much as I believe in the value of on-the-job training, there are certain skills and competencies for which formal training programmes and courses can deliver an excellent return on investment for the business," she says.
According to Snyders, many companies believe their employees will pick up the skills and competencies they need on-the-job.
She explains in some organisations, managers do not understand the return on investment they get from training and development. These take the form of benefits such as higher productivity, increased job satisfaction among employees, and less employee churn.
"That makes the training budget vulnerable to being slashed when companies are under economic pressure," she points out.
Snyders adds another factor is many HR departments are so caught up in compliance, they are not thinking strategically about training and alignment of the workforce with the business's objectives.
"A better alternative to slashing training spend is to make sure you are getting quality and value for money from your training providers and courses," she notes.
Training tips
Snyders provides five criteria companies can use to ensure delivery of quality programmes.
1. Find a reputable partner
When evaluating training providers, take the time to investigate their reputation in the market. Ask for some reference sites from each provider you are considering, and be sure to contact them to find out about their experiences. This will take five minutes, but may save thousands of rands in training costs.
2. Choose a specialist
Find out which trainers will be responsible for delivering the training on the courses being considered, and evaluate their expertise and qualifications on the subject matter. Someone with a strong, proven theoretical grounding is good; a trainer with practical experience in the field is even better because he or she will be able to talk about real-life situations.
3. Fulfil specific training needs
Training is expensive, so be sure to know what outcome to expect from an investment in the course or workshop for an employee. Look closely at the course overview and determine beforehand if it will fulfil your needs.
If you are choosing training on behalf of your employee, discuss the expected outcome with him or her. Ask the provider for a detailed course outline and discuss how each topic on the list will cover the employee's training need with him or her before the course commences.
4. Look at the take-home value
It's not enough for the training course to deliver practical skills and knowledge the employee can apply as soon as he or she returns to the office ? it must also offer value in the materials the employee gets to take away from the sessions.
Researchers reckon trainees remember less than 20% of what they learn during a training intervention. For this reason, a course's value is vastly increased when the employee leaves with reference manuals, online support, and other such tools and materials.
5. Assessing the learner
The topic of assessments can be controversial. Some people believe they unsettle the learner, while others believe they're essential to the learning process. Whichever side of the fence you sit, choose a provider that aligns with your needs.
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