Why invest in Employee Training?, written by Mark Newton at Kaizen

Businesses that scale successfully, need a team of employees with the right skills, experience and tools to carry out their roles effectively.

Employee training helps businesses attract and retain staff.

Employee training is not just about equipping employees with the right know-how, it's about investing in your team to expand skills and understanding that help your business boost effectiveness, stay competitive, expand into new areas and win new customers.

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What is employee training?

Employee training helps staff develop their skills to become more effective in their roles.

Some training is a legal requirement, employees handling and preparing food, working with hazardous materials, or working at height.

All employees must be trained in fire safety and workplace health and safety.

Different forms of training are available, such as:

eLearning – online courses and training that are tailored for remote training
classroom and trainer – individual or group training usually held in person
job shadowing – junior or new team members learning from experienced staff.

Training can be provided at different stages of employment

induction into your business
regular refresher training
when an employee moves to a new role or department.

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Benefits of employee training

Besides providing the skills employees need to carry out tasks effectively, other benefits may include:

a stronger sense of accountability for employees
increased productivity
improved efficiency
greater employee independence
transparent company standards and processes
greater opportunities for employee development
increased staff retention.

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How to develop an employee training programme

1. Identify employee training requirements

Your employees' training will depend on their roles, activities, and business operations.

For example, an employee working in a warehouse may require different training than an employee handling customer data in a contact centre.

Identifying your employees' tasks can help inform you of the training they may require.

Consult your employees to understand if there are any other tasks they do which may require additional training.

It's a good idea to plan for training that might be needed in the future, such as meeting company expansion plans into new markets.

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2. Set personal training goals

Your employees' personal training goals will differ depending on their current skillsets and how their role may develop.

One employee may want to master a popular software that could make completing tasks more time efficient as they take on more responsibility.

Another may want to build their confidence when speaking to a large group of people, such as for a presentation.

Set goals, undertaking a set amount of training, achieving an agreed competency level, or gaining a certification.

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3. Create personal training plans

Establishing personal training goals helps employers create a tailored personal training plan that identifies and addresses skill gaps or builds upon existing expertise.

Ask employees how they like to learn, such as through online training or more 1-2-1 tutor-led sessions.

Consider all the available training types and allocate a dedicated budget to support training activities.

Jot down a structured training programme detailing the lessons and outcomes you're looking for.

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4. Use already available resources

You may have access to training resources within your company. One such resource is your current employee pool.

Employees from different departments, or employees who have been with the business longer than others, may have valuable knowledge and skills other employees can use to progress, so consider shadowing or on-the-job learning.

Digital companies, such as Google, LinkedIn and HubSpot have free or cheap online learning that provides expert-led courses across numerous topics.

Some industry professionals operate YouTube channels that provide free, informative video content on various topics.

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