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Training and development in human resources management is the process of developing, acquiring, and maintaining skills. The goal of training and development is to improve the performance of employees.
The part of your people operations that focuses on your workers’ general growth of skill sets and abilities is known as training and development. As this article explains, the goal is to progress your staff by involving them in the areas your company needs or values the most, resulting in ever-improving results.
Training and Development: An Overview
Although there are many detailed definitions of training and development (T&D) in the marketplace, simply, this field is primarily referring to improving the effectiveness of your company’s overall efficiency and performance. More importantly though, at the heart of this definition are your employees and the teams they are part of. Training and development is a building block for great people management.
Many organizations, and their leaders, get this concept wrong; they sign individuals and/or teams up for a couple of workshops, or send employees to an off-site seminar (which can both be positive experiences) but then do not do much else to further curate the T&D program (which, just so you know, is an on-going, continuous improvement-related mindset). When starting, the goal should always be the following:
- Focus on professional development and progress for the firm, teams, and individual members.
- Maintain a discrete focus on your human resources individual, team, or department. Your HR staff should get ongoing training that prepares them for the many policy creations, regulatory, and commercial problems that they will face. There are several excellent HR training programs and providers available. At a minimum, join the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), which is a fantastic resource for HR practitioners.
- Start slow and small and work your way forward (do not, initially, try to develop a huge T&D program or campaign that you cannot sustain).
- If you are new to T&D, resist the urge to go it alone. Seek outside guidance from experts who can help expedite the process and save you money (note that one we like is LMS for Talent which offers a comprehensive training and development partner service).
The Differences and Relationships Between “Training” and “Development”
It’s critical to realize that “training” leads to “professional growth.” When training programs are well-designed and implemented, whether via learning management systems or independently, they may contribute to long-term growth for individuals and the business as a whole.
Training programs, in general, are single courses, webinars, and seminars that help people improve their skills and knowledge in certain subject areas. The notion of development is more focused on long-term goals and constant progress. Some businesses consider “development” to be solely for leaders or executives, while we see it as a longer-term process of improving skill sets and knowledge for everyone engaged.
Training and growth are, in fact, two distinct goals. There is no such thing as a better or more significant goal. Rather, they collaborate to further develop and strengthen the team and, as a result, the company as a whole.
The Most Important Benefits of Participating in Training and Development
Although greater and sustained employee engagement is one of the ultimate objectives of investing in your people and your company as a whole, it is not the only one. We concentrate on these goals for a variety of reasons, including improving expertise and encouraging development. Aside from that, training and development programs may help us in the following areas, which can determine whether we succeed or fail in developing our firm over time:
- It boosts productivity and overall job performance while also laying the groundwork for future training programs.
- It aids in the retention of outstanding personnel across the board (particularly among millennials and Gen Zers; see graph below).
- It strengthens an ongoing staff skill development program.
- It helps to strengthen and nurture team interactions.
- Training and development may help to eliminate bottlenecks in the organization’s operations.
- To make the company leaner, new and enhanced job roles might be developed.
- When it comes to reducing risk in the workplace due to safety issues, training, and educated knowledge help to reduce safety-related mishaps.
- It aids in the testing of innovative approaches for enhancing productivity as well as the readiness to enter specialized markets.
We’d like to highlight one important value-added component of every organization’s training and development program. This one factor will decide whether or not your firm is successful, or even survives, in the years ahead. It’s official: millennials and Generation Zers want their companies to take the lead in training them for the future.
Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey supplied these figures (2019). This study will assist you in determining how to allocate your resources for employee engagement, training, and development.
Best Practices in Training and Development
In terms of training and development programs, there are several excellent practices to highlight. In this part, we’ll go through a few important steps. Here are some companies that we believe provide outstanding employee engagement practices via dynamic and long-term training and development programs.
1. SAS
SAS has always been at the forefront of business analytics software and services. And it certainly does not fall short when it comes to internal training and development. It has effectively integrated the notion of development into its professional culture by offering a range of development programs for new workers that extend beyond the onboarding process to its training programs for leadership team members.
2. Amazon
As a worldwide huge eCommerce juggernaut, Amazon, of course, leads the way. It not only compensates employees for a variety of training in “in-demand” fields like accounting, inventory management, and procurement, but it has also made it a priority to provide flexibility (where and when possible), including a “Virtual Contact Center” that allows Amazon employees to work from home.
Employee autonomy may extend to working freely from their home office thanks to Amazon’s “Virtual Locations” technology, which allows workers to enhance their talents.
3. Marriott International Inc.
With over 4,400 facilities in 85 countries and territories, Marriott is one of the world’s leading hotel and accommodation enterprises. Marriott International provides a number of training opportunities to its workers across the globe, employing a variety of delivery techniques. Some of these training opportunities are virtual, while others are in-person or on-site. Marriott’s training programs emphasize skill development and include professional and career development courses. Work-life balance, job-specific skill development, and leadership and management are just a few of the training available.
4. Etsy
Employees at Etsy have access to a fantastic internal school that helps them advance their careers inside Etsy and beyond. Lunch-and-learns, off-site courses, webinars, and self-employee training are all available via the “Etsy School.” Employees train and educate each other in ways that help everyone develop and evolve into more well-rounded team members.
5. Have you heard of 1-800-Got-Junk?
1-800-Got-Junk? is a unique model in comparison to the others discussed in this article. If workers choose to work for themselves, there are plenty of options. Many workers start as hourly team members and work their way up to become franchise owners. Staff are supported in their present responsibilities via in-house training, as well as courses that assist prepare employees for future franchise ownership (such as classes focusing on finance, management, etc.).
Associated Training and Development Costs
The annual Training and Industry Report published by Training Magazine in 2018 (their most current publication) estimated a total training expenditure of $87.6 billion in the United States, which includes all salary and spending on external goods and services. The industry is enormous and growing (especially for larger companies that maintain large training budgets).
Training Magazine publishes an annual study that details the expenses of training and development as well as best practices.
The cost of doing business for a small firm varies greatly. Despite the fact that organizations do not need to spend a lot of money on high-quality training, there are costs involved with effective training and development programs. Examining “how” firms provide training is the best approach to determine who is doing what inside employee training programs.
The general narrative in this question is the information technology (I.T.) used. The following are the most often used I.T. tools, according to Training Magazine:
- Learning management systems (LMSs) are the most popular, with 81 percent, followed by virtual classrooms/Webcasting/video broadcasting with 69 percent.
- Rapid e-learning tools are in second place with 45 percent.
- At 34%, application simulation tools (e.g., Simscale or Simul8) are also widely used.
The least popular training delivery techniques stayed the same as previous year:
- Podcasting has a 14 percent success rate.
- At 21%, online performance support (EPSS) or a knowledge management system.
- Both mobile apps and learning content management systems (LCMSs) account for 30% of the market.
Each of these options comes with its own set of costs and time commitments for your training and development efforts. We felt it more beneficial to go to the Training Magazine report again, since it is the most complete in the business, rather than presenting a few suppliers to assist you here (there are multiple links to them throughout this post) and/or prices of what other, particular firms are doing. We like analyzing training and development expenditures in terms of average cost per employee and average training hours (both samples are from within the United States).
Small company owners may get a better idea of what they might spend by breaking down the yearly training/development cost and the number of training hours per employee, depending on what others in their industry are doing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it necessary for me to pay for my workers’ training?
There is no legal need for training and development programs. The caveat to this statement is that you, the employer, must demand or maintain particular skill sets, certificates, or licenses for your staff. Then you should have a program in place where HR aids staff in keeping up to speed on re-certifications and training courses.
Is it necessary to compensate workers for their time spent in training?
The obligation that employers pay for non-exempt (or hourly paid) workers’ training time under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is based on the following four criteria:
- The training must be done on a voluntary basis.
- The training must occur outside of regular working hours.
- The training should not be directly tied to the employee’s work performance.
- During the session, no work should be done.
It’s worth noting that the FLSA stipulates that all of these requirements must be met in order for the training to be classified as non-compensable.
Can I have my staff attend training sessions outside of business hours?
If it is necessary for the job, the quick answer is yes. But there’s a lot more to say about this. Once again, if you need the training, you will most likely be responsible for paying for the course. Furthermore, as we said in our previous response, you will be compelled to pay the employee for his or her time.
Keep in mind the final goal: training and development opportunities are intended to be a technique of positive interaction with your team members, in part. The employee may be unable to attend training or courses due to family obligations or other factors. Make sure it works for them as well.
Can the firm be reimbursed if I pay for work-related training and then the employee quits?
Not to belabor the point, but it does important if it was necessary for the job. No, the employer cannot demand payment from the former employee if the company requires training. The caveat to this answer is whether or not there was an employment contract in place with particular criteria that would have steered us in a different direction in this situation.
Conclusion
Training and development (T&D) programs are not created and then left alone. These programs require ongoing cultivation and evolution but are worth the effort when you consider all that they can provide for you by way of employee engagement, skills training, professional development, and retaining top industry talent.
