To further interests (develop capabilities) of the workforce, organizations devise various programmes for their benefit. These programmes range from team building activities to educational off sites on one end to training programmes on the other. Learning and Development programmes ensure employees are on the top of their game at all times and their level of expertise is in sync with the current trends. However, with existing work pressure bogging down the enthusiasm of a resource, a structured training programme often looks like an additional bundle of work. Employees fail to understand the important of learning and development programmes or how it can help them slide up the learning curve.
Though, a 2018 research conducted by on-demand courses platform Udemy on ‘Millenials at Work’, states that approximately 42% millenials believe that learning and development programmes are the most important benefit provided by a company, organizations often suffer huge losses due to the low turnover of employees for these programmes. The solution to this deep seated issue lies in the answer to a simple question – ‘What is in it for me?’
While designing learning and development programmes employers should ensure that their training module creates an equal value to the employee as it is intended by the organization. Employers (the L&D team) should keep the following things in mind while curating a training programme to ensure a healthy participation by the workforce.
- Invoke curiosity: programmes with cliché run- of – the mill titles seldom motivate attendees. Professionals study for years to achieve their degrees. Hence, are often deterred to attend grueling sessions which are similar to what they have already learnt in their formative years or while they were on the job. A good programme should invoke a curiosity in the mind of the trainee so as to instill a feeling of newness and value addition. It should add value to the overall profile of the employee and bring something new to the table.
- Content: Employees work for hours at an end achieving organizational targets and goals. Coupled with this, they sometimes also have to be on top of internal organizational processes which may eat up a chunk of their time. Hence, a programme which doesn’t have engaging, concise and interesting content can often demotivate employees and make them feel like they are wasting their time.
- Mode of conduct: A lot of times, employees are interested and motivated in trainings provided by organizations; however, they don’t have the time to participate in it due to existing or prior commitments. Companies should consider providing trainings remotely or provide modules which the employees can take at their own pace. This serves the goals of the organizations and the employees.
- Time: Though trainings are a cost centre for organizations, the management should avoid organizing trainings on weekends or non- working days. Employees work hard on working days and look forward to the weekends to unwind and spend time with family. Having to honour a work related commitment on a weekend can be a real deterrent from attending training, even if it is one that can benefit the employee in the long term.
- Incentive: Trainings itself are an incentive to an employee. To make trainings fun and engaging, companies, one could introduce gamification in trainings by organizing activities along with traditional classroom sessions..A good faculty alongwith a good venue and food during training programs can also motivate higher turnout.
Development programs which are aligned to the overall purpose of the organization encourage employees to consistent upskill themselves. Training is one of the key factors for the growth of an organizations human wealth. At the rate at which technology and the world is developing, it is very important that organizations conduct relevant and interesting training programs to help their employees run at the same pace as their competitors. Training can often become lengthy and monotonous, but with the steps mentioned above organizations can bring about a change and motivate their work force to take a step towards their own progress.