In large companies, most of the employees go through training when they enter the company, and then they are repeated according to the training needs of the company. Under these circumstances, we might think that the employees no longer see the trainings as something special, but we are wrong. A study carried out by the researchers of the Madeira Spanish University shows us that the employees enjoy training almost as much as a raise. The study conducted on 5000 employees from Spain reveal that the satisfaction regarding the employer and implicitly the workplace increases by 18% after the employee has participated in a training provided by the company.
The same study reveals that trainings make ٦٦٪ of these employees feel better within the company and 60% are less inclined to leave from a company which offers trainings.
Nowadays, when offering a raise is unlikely for many businesses, we must think our steps in advance and develop a strategy by which to maintain the employees" satisfaction.
The companies which constantly invest in training usually have a lower turnover, which associated with a high level of satisfaction of the clients, leads to profitability. On the other hand, the companies which are not willing to invest into their employees jeopardize their own success and the survival itself.
Once the need for training established, there is the question whether to externalize the training service or to sustain it by one"s internal resources.
There are many companies which have internal learning and development departments, which manage the training and specialization of the employees according to the level they have reached or to the trends dictated by the market. However, most of the times, companies do not afford to sustain such a department. The main idea is to satisfy the training needs of the company, so as to be able to survive in the competitive environment.
When we have to decide between externalizing the training and using our own resources, we should take into consideration the fact that the employees hold an outside trainer in higher esteem. For a recently employed person, the fact that the trainer is from within the company makes no difference. Things change when an employee who is old in the company needs some specialization and he is offered a training led by one of his colleagues, who is probably on a higher position or who took part in that training course in the past and for whom the company paid. It is obvious that such training will not bring the above mentioned satisfaction.
Some companies choose to externalize the training services and most of the training needs they have. Other companies choose to keep in-house trainings and to create an original curriculum of training. However, most of the companies are somewhere in between: when they can manage, they keep them in-house; when the situation is beyond them, they bring an outer trainer.
A company specialized in consultancy on employees" development processes offers specialization certificates and brings cutting-edge learning and development techniques. Consequently, there are numerous reasons for which the management of a company should bring an outer trainer:
The typical corporatist investment into training and development increases each year. This is due to the age of the companies which consider training as the greatest investment into their employees. Tim Grant, HR Manager of TAP Pharmaceuticals company, states that in a continuously developing and changing industry, the employees need trainings dictated by the dynamics of the market. He also believes that, since their employees need varied skills and expertise, the external training companies help them to achieve the desired performance at the right moment.
Another company which considers the outer trainer as a more efficient variant is Motorola Corporation. Fred Hamburg, Chief Learning Office of Motorola, very often uses technically educated trainers. He insists that the training of the employees is time consuming and that it is very difficult to take a man out of production in order to have him perform trainings. Hamburg is interested in saving money, but at the same time he wants to benefit from the best trainers in the domain.
The advantages of collaborating with an outer trainer are:
If the decision to externalize training was made, in order to choose the best trainer, you first have to evaluate several trainers, because in the past years many trainers have appeared on the market. In their evaluation, we have to take into account the experience they have in the domain, since most of the trainers did not have a real contact with what the client requires, but only a series of courses and a trainer certification. You can also analyze his portfolio of achievements, the way and the success registered in his career. The values he promotes are also important, or whether he has written books or articles on the subject of interest, whether he is a member of some professional organizations or testimonials of his former clients.
If the company does not afford a trainer, there is also the alternative of sending one"s employees to open conferences and trainings. This is an excellent way to assimilate information and to connect with people on similar positions to theirs. The disadvantages are the time spent outside the office and in certain cases, the costs. Very often, especially when only a few employees are involved, the benefits of open conferences and trainings are worth it. When we choose which open trainings to take part in, we have to pay attention again to the trainer"s expertise, the agenda of the training, the cost and the number of participants - since a big number of participants may be an obstacle in the way of carrying out the practice.
In any situation, there are arguments for and against externalizing the training services. What remains certain and constant is the fact that the organizations must pay attention to the specific training needs so as to maintain performance for the survival of the brand. And, since happy employees are the best ambassadors of the brand, whenever we encounter problems in holding on to our employees, we can place our stake on the fact that training will make them as happy as a raise.
by Ovidiu Mățan
