Training and development in the workplace is not a luxury but essential to staff morale, wellbeing, relevance and currency. I see this demonstrated over and over when I visit companies and see how much they gain from a little extra help and guidance and a sense of investment.
But all too often training courses turn into fire fighting exercises and confidence rebuilding sessions and this is all down to a lack of staff investment with training being granted after much pleading.
It really is a sad state of affairs to see staff who feel undervalued and constantly ignored. I am sometimes called in as a “last resort” to fix problems that need not have existed had a little investment in T&D been made earlier.
This gives a false impression of training as a cure all when morale has all but disappeared. Many individuals are now resorting to Career Development Loans and taking the time off for training to which they are now entitled; how much better would it be for the staff members and the companies involved if this was a regular provision and an objective on appraisals?
Good training investment really does make for happier staff. We all like to feel valued and useful to our employers. Lack of training sends out a message that speaks volumes to employees. It’s far cheaper to train and retain than it is to lose and replace a member of staff; let’s help our employees retain their sense of loyalty and give them the resources they deserve.
