When it comes to training, less than half of organisations (40%) conduct staff training annually, while 23% do so quarterly, 31% only upon request, and 5% on a monthly basis.
This was one of the key findings of the ITWeb/Fox ITSM South Africa IT Training Survey, which ran online, attracting 201 responses.
"Yearly and quarterly planning (with periodic checkpoints) is common; however, training budgets are usually allocated yearly, and the spend is left to divisional/departmental management to execute as and when the need arises, hence the very common 'on request' approach adopted by many companies," says Ian Clark, regional MD at Fox ITSM SA.
Clark believes this approach allows for flexibility and adaptability to changes in circumstances, which are common in today's business environment.
"All training has to have a purpose for both the employee and employer, and this usually comes in the form of 'generic' training required to support the way the organisation operates. Other training is planned to support strategic and tactical projects with specific goals, outcomes and objectives in mind," Clark says.
The survey also found that pricing remains one of the key motivating factors for organisations when selecting a training provider; quality and effectiveness of training delivery also scored highly.
A large percentage (87%) of respondents chose e-mail as their preferred method of interacting with training providers. Telephonic communication ranked second, at 59%, while face-to-face communication came in third, at 53%.
"E-mail is, and will always be, a popular medium of communication between training providers and customers due to general interaction (request based). A face-to-face business relationship and consultative approach is also required for larger training initiatives that include skills needs analysis and tailored training programmes to support specific business objectives. Each method is unique to every organisation and their specific needs," says Clark.
The majority (84%) of survey respondents said they prefer to attend training courses and workshops during the working week; only 10% preferred after-hours training; and 6% chose weekend training.
"It is to be expected that most people attend training courses during the working week, and we know organisations largely plan for this and accept it, as the training is, and should be, seen as a value-adding activity to the organisation," says Clark.
Clark believes it is important to have a mix of delivery options on offer to meet all business requirements, and this was a strategic objective of Fox ITSM SA when the company launched in Africa 18 months ago.
Clark adds: "Private (onsite) classroom-based training has to be on offer, as the value gained by attending training and education with peers adds an additional dimension to any educational event. We have literally seen teams of people rejuvenated and 'come together' to define and commit to achieving common goals following these types of events - this especially applies to our gamification and simulation offerings, which allow teams to 'learn by doing' in a simulated environment.
"Everyone at Fox ITSM South Africa would like to thank the survey respondents for taking the time to complete the survey; the results are invaluable to our business. Action plans have already been put in place to reinforce key aspects of our business that were confirmed by these results, and specific activities are being implemented to cover aspects that we learnt from the survey. As always, Fox ITSM South Africa is committed to providing world-class education, consulting and implementation accelerators to the market, and we look forward to serving and adding value to current and future customers in the future," Clark concludes.
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