Managers look at training regimes for their employees in the same way accountants view extravagant yachts and mansions – an unnecessary expense.
In their desperation to save as much cash as possible, managers will avoid any costly training. But in doing so, they could be feeding their business to the lions.
These lions will circle your business for a long time, their teeth chomping and stomachs starving, but they’ll hit your business as soon as it stagnates, sensing your weakness.
How do they know? Because a staff who aren’t at the top of their game will falter as your business expands, forcing you to hire a new team at a higher cost or training them in a hurry.
The end result of poor training is staff members who couldn’t tell you the difference between customer service and company culture – and some metaphorical lions with very full stomachs.
So, to help you get your company training programme back on track, let us show you a few ways to give your employees a boost.
Online distance learning
Going the distance has always been a popular saying, meaning to jump every hurdle in front of you to achieve your goal. And it’s an even more apt phrase for our first recommendation – distance learning.
Gone are the days when online distance learning meant ultra-slow broadband connections and poorly designed user interfaces.
Now, they’re sleek, concise and comprehensive, as well as being easy to use.
And in business terms, they cover the entire gamut of your sector. From a Master of Business Administration MBA to an MA in Leadership, or a BSc in Digital Marketing, any corporate road can be travelled.
Shell out for a distance learning course and your employee will be able to work from home or during their lunch break, meaning the flow of productivity is unaffected in your standard nine-to-five.
All in all, this is a great way to upskill your employees– and get more bang for your buck in the long run.
Mentoring
If you have a young team of unskilled workers, they’ll quickly grow rudderless if they feel they haven’t got someone to look up to.
The solution? Regular mentoring from older workers.
With regular meetings between young and older workers in the same industry, skills can be passed on more quickly, the kind of skills that would typically take years to develop.
What’s more, older workers may view their industry with fresh eyes, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
You’ll be able to track down potential mentors via networking events or in your own workforce – so what are you waiting for?
Lynda
Lynda is a website purpose-built to train people from hundreds of industries – and it’s available online for a song.
For a nominal fee, you’ll be able to develop skills in everything from leadership to customer service, programming to graphic design, and video editing to copywriting.
It’s a bottomless well of possibilities and well worth an investment.
Cross training
Whenever you offer training options, remember to broaden your employees’ skillset as widely as possible. That way they’ll be more diverse and, in turn, more useful to your team.
That our list! Can you think of any other training options for employees? Then let us know in the comments below!
