According to LinkedIn’s 2019 Workforce Learning Report, 94% of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if it was invested in helping them learn. But learning isn’t a one-shot deal because a training program isn’t the beginning or the ending of learning.
The company needs to ensure that the managers recognize the value of employee development. It can do that by including employee development responsibilities in the managers’ job descriptions and providing the budget to support training activities.
The managers need to be willing to work with trainers in setting the learning goals, content, and learning activities, so the training develops the desired skills. They also need to give the employees time and adjust their workloads, so the employees are able to attend training unencumbered.
Before the employees attend a training program, their managers need to explain why the training is important, what they want the employees to learn, and what change in performance they expect to see after the training.
To avoid the learning loss that quickly occurs after a training program, their managers need to immediately debrief what the employees learned and co-create action plans to put the new learning into practice. Because new learning requires frequent reinforcement, the managers need to coach and support the use of the new skills on a regular basis. The managers might even acknowledge and reward employees who used their new skills.
In summary, employee development requires a commitment and investment in time and money. Active management involvement before and after training will ensure that learning occurs and is retained.
Question: Do your managers prepare their employees to get the most from a training program, or do they simply tell them to attend a training the next day?
#management #managementtraining #employeedevelopment #training
