Although in most companies training is considered a fundamental activity for growth, when adjusting expenses, budgets for this purpose are significantly reduced. Why?
In the last decade, conducting training courses within companies has taken a quantitative and qualitative leap. I am referring to growth, both in the number of seminars and courses and in the quality of topics and specializations. The same behavior was followed by the offer, since a growth in the number of companies providing training services can be observed. This change has been generated, mainly, because companies recognize as a necessity the constant improvement of their workforce, whatever the level within the hierarchical structure.
Now, if, as Peter Drucker says, “… it was the application of knowledge to work that created developed countries, by setting in motion the productive explosion of the last hundred years…”, if companies value the training of their personnel, For what reasons, when a process of cost reduction begins, in most cases does it start with a significant reduction in training budgets? On one occasion, a client who had requested a quote to take a course on Sales Techniques told me, "for the moment we are going to suspend it because we are having many sales difficulties." Finally, six months later (yes, six months), the training took place. There was a difference, sales had declined even more.
I ask myself again, what is it that leads to postpone this type of decision?
After analyzing the process that is practiced in companies for the contracting of training services, I have come to the conclusion that the most important difficulty lies in the fact of considering it as an expense and not as an investment.
Conceiving training as an investment necessarily leads to the development of a process that involves several people from different areas of the organization; for example, the person in charge of a sector, the personnel of human resources and perhaps the direct user. This type of investment requires analysis, it is what is technically called a rational purchase.
Different authors establish the following points as stages of the process:
- Recognition of the need Definition of the type of product or service and development of specifications Search for suppliers Analysis of proposals Selection of the supplier and preparation of the purchase order Performance evaluation
Taking into account the stated stages, if we compare the process of buying a machine with the process of buying a course, it will be seen more clearly why I consider that training does not receive the treatment that corresponds to an investment.
Purchase of machinery
Studies are carried out that determine the need to incorporate new technology. The Production Manager, the Plant Supervisor, Technical Office staff, the Purchasing Manager including the Operator can participate in the process, each one offers their point of view. This information is taken into account to make the final selection of the provider.
Once the property is acquired, the assembly is carried out with great care so as not to cause difficulties when it is put into operation.
The Operator, who has received all the necessary instructions for its handling and control, begins to produce. The Supervisor visits the place several times a day to verify that there are no problems. The Chief prepares statistics so that Management can follow the evolution of production. After a period of manufacture, everyone who was involved will pour their knowledge trying to make the new equipment generate greater benefits. In short, it is an investment, you have to make it pay off.
Purchase of a Training Course
If it is a question of large companies, the Human Resources personnel try to convince the managers of the area of the importance and the need to train their people. If instead we refer to SMEs, the owners wonder if it is the right time, if it is necessary to train everyone and they consider that the training will not solve their problems. For these reasons, generally in large companies, it is only Human Resources personnel who participate in the stages of recognition of the need and the definition of the class of service. In small and medium-sized companies, interviews are usually postponed or replaced by “a standard program”.
Finally, taking into account the importance of "constant improvement of the workforce", the training is approved. There begins another stage of the decision process, I mean the definition of guidelines for its implementation such as: venue, days and hours, total number of participants, etc.
The criteria used in these decisions are very different from those adopted for other investments. For example: “we need to do the course in two intensive days because we cannot distract the staff any longer”. Is this suitable for a learning process? It seems to have no importance. Would a company carry out the assembly of a machine quickly without being sure that it will work correctly? No one would dare to try.
Let's continue the comparison. Once the training is finished, each person who has participated in this training returns to their daily activities and will try to put what they have learned into practice. Are you having difficulties? Have you been able to use any of the tools received? Can your new knowledge serve others within the sector where you work?
Most companies would not be able to answer these questions because unlike other investments, neither the Supervisor, nor the Boss, nor the Manager perform adequate follow-up. No one approaches staff to report what could be improved by putting what they have learned into practice. The absence of feedback is sometimes caused by not valuing the training, sometimes due to "lack of time" and others due to fear of the unknown. In short, the return on investment is not measured and evaluated.
Dear reader, training is an excellent tool for the development of your company. It is a means that, used properly, will facilitate the path to achieving your objectives. Training is not an end in itself, it is directed for someone and something. Therefore I recommend:
- Conduct a training needs survey. Know the demand. Get involved with your staff to identify their strengths and weaknesses, in this way you will more conveniently select the contents to work on in the training.If the course is carried out within your company, provide the Instructor (whether internal or external), all the information necessary so that you can design a training tailored to your needs. If you are going to send your staff to train outside the company, inquire carefully about the content and methodology that will be used on that journey. Remember: you are going to make an investment. Try to harmonize the training times with the demands of the company. I am referring to the analysis of the duration of the course and the frequency of the meetings.At the end of your training, work to get the maximum benefits from this investment. Be demanding, transform “knowledge” into “knowledge applied to work”. You can propose: “From what has been learned in the course, is there any change that you consider convenient to make? Why? The following month insist, what tool could we implement this month that would improve the quality of work in our industry? Finally, share the performance evaluation with your people. Offer feedback to the staff and they will offer you better results every day.What tool could we implement this month that would improve the quality of work in our industry? Finally, share your performance appraisal with your people. Offer feedback to the staff and they will offer you better results every day.What tool could we implement this month that would improve the quality of work in our industry? Finally, share your performance appraisal with your people. Offer feedback to the staff and they will offer you better results every day.
