Personalized Employee Training 2

There’s no denying the importance of training in the workplace today, and more companies are adopting training systems to help their employees grow and acquire new skills. The new trend is to offer personalized training that’s tailored to each employee’s needs and goals. Through personalized training, employees can learn the things they need at their specific experience levels and according to their personal career paths.

Instead of implementing a one-size-fits-most training plan, many companies are turning to personalized alternatives that provide their employees with the learning they need, when and how they need it. This can be very beneficial to both employers and employees, increasing productivity and retention, and making companies more competitive in the marketplace as their employees learn the skills needed to stay ahead of the curve.

Here are some of the ways in which offering personalized training can benefit both employer and employees:

  • Increased morale, as employees feel appreciated by having personalized training, and are therefore more likely to feel fulfilled at work.
  • A more skilled workforce, since personalized training helps employees close gaps in their skill sets and get the skills they need to do their work better.
  • Increased productivity, with employees getting the training they need to excel in their jobs and produce more high-quality work.
  • Employee retention and reduced turnover, as employees continue to grow their expertise and professional goals within the company.
  • Less time wasted, since personalized training doesn’t try to fit everyone into a single training course that won’t be as effective.
  • More satisfied customers who are receiving the services they need from better-trained employees.
  • Increased competitiveness in your industry, due to a stronger workforce.
  • Appeal to top talent, when candidates learn that a company offers personalized training and become more interested in working there.
  • Allowing employees to learn in the format that is best suited to them, so they can retain the information better.
  • Encouraging growth among the staff in an organic way, so that employees themselves want to take advantage of the personalized training being offered.
  • Skills assessments that determine the specific skill gaps employees have, so they can be trained in the best possible way.

Of course, implementing a personalized training plan is not without obstacles. It can be daunting to develop and implement any type of training plan, since many different departments have to come on board, including HR, finance, and legal. And don’t forget that the employees also have to come on board, which means you need to roll out a training plan that’s appealing to them, and is presented in a way that makes sense and will get them excited about it.

But before you start, please know that if you implement a personalized training program without any real thought about its need and purpose, it can end up being a costly mistake. You don’t want to spend a lot of money and time implementing a training plan just to see it fail. As with any other strategy, to be successful personalized training has to be implemented for a specific goal, one that’s in line with the company’s overall mission.

But personalized training programs are increasing, as the importance placed on training continues to grow. According to the Association for Talent Development’s 2014 State of the Industry report, which includes the training efficiency and expenditures data of a diverse group of 340 organizations of various sizes, industries, and locations, companies spent an average of $1,208 per employee on training and development in 2014, and employees put in an average of 31.5 learning hours throughout the year.

Furthermore, a recent study by WorkTrendsTM asked employees to rate their training and development experiences, and found that employees from organizations that invest more on training scored 40 percent higher in engagement levels than employees from organizations that didn’t offer as much training. And as you know, higher engagement has a definite impact on your bottom line.

Have you implemented personalized training in your organization? Do you think it’s worth following the recent training trend?

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3 Comments

  • Alexia M. says:

    I couldn’t agree more! Even though the costs of a personalized training program are high, the employer gains so much in benefits: fewer skills shortages, increased morale and retention, increased productivity, less time wasted on unnecessary training, a more compelling employer brand, and higher customer satisfaction.

  • Greg F. says:

    We should all remember that not all the benefits of training are quantifiable – many are intangible, such as improved employee self-esteem and morale. However, before deciding on implementing such a program, we need to look at actual data. So consider the fact that the targeted training helps to save time (by reducing the time spent on problem solving and correcting mistakes) and that means it saves you money. And that’s a good starting point.

  • Trent R. says:

    Education is always the best investment. Even though many people assume that a well-trained employee is more likely to leave the company for greener pastures, the actual truth is that trained employees are happier and more likely to stay put. Their self-esteem improves, which in turn improves their morale in the workplace and their loyalty to their employer. And that ultimately translates into lower staff turnover and lower recruitment costs.

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