How to Profit from Staff Training
When it comes to staff training, employers have three big objections: It will cost too much. My business won’t benefit from it. And, someone will steal my employee after they’re trained.
Jack Moes has heard all three complaints and his response is: No, it’s a bargain. Yes it will, as long as you give employees the chance to put their training to use. And yeah, you run that risk – which is a pretty good indicator of how valuable training is.
So, if you’ve always rejected – or worse, never considered – sending an employee on a training course, give Moes a chance to challenge your objections.
First off, the cost.
At Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba, the tuition for most courses falls into the $100 to $400 range.
“We’ve given safety training in conjunction with the Manitoba Pork Council for as little as $25 per participant – and I think that included lunch,” says Moes, the college’s dean of applied research and institutional planning.
“Now compare that to professional training in the business world where it’s done strictly on a cost-recovery basis. For a week-long course, you’re usually looking at $2,000 to $4,000 per person. But when it comes to public education, we’re often only charging a small fraction of our costs.”
OK, says the reluctant employer, but what about the wage cost incurred while the employee is taking the course?
“I know some employers view training almost like a paid vacation day,” says Moes. “But you have to think it through in terms of the benefits to your business and then look to see if you can co-ordinate the training with slow periods.
“If it’s a distance course, maybe they can work at the computer instead of cleaning the shop on a rainy day. Or maybe you can send people for training during the winter. Many agricultural businesses have employees they don’t want to let go because they’re so valuable to them, but they don’t really have enough for them to do during the winter months.”
(A couple of tips: Distance training isn’t for everyone, but the experience of going to college can be invigorating. And if it’s fun as well as beneficial, what’s the harm? Moes also favours courses with an exam at the end – knowing they will be tested makes students more attentive.)
That brings us to the benefits of training.
Moes admits that it’s not always easy to estimate the dollars-and-cents value of paying someone to take a course. A welding course or pesticide certification program is one thing – training to be an effective supervisor is something different.
But as you think about this issue, don’t just think about the employee. Take a look in the mirror. What are your hopes for your business? How important is your staff in achieving your business goals?
“If you’re thinking about your business in a progressive way, then you’re thinking about how to enable people so they can take on new responsibilities and help move your business forward,” says Moes.
Of course, most employers are hoping to grow their revenues – by expanding production, improving quality or adding value – and recognize that their workers play a key role in that process. Which is why they’re nervous a better-trained employee might jump ship for another employer.
“We worry about this at the college – what if we help an instructor get an advanced degree, and then they turn around and leave us?” says Moes.
“It’s a risk that we take, but we weigh that risk against the benefit. We do a risk analysis: If they get the training and stay, what will we be able to accomplish? And if they do leave, we ask ourselves, ‘Was it just a matter of that person getting a better job offer or does it say something about us an employer?’ ”
Part of the answer to the last question is that good people want to work for good employers, and good employers offer their people a chance to advance.
Moes points out that while training is part of the equation, it’s not the whole answer. The critical bit is what happens after the employee comes back to the workplace.
“You have to be willing to let people apply what they’ve learned to their job,” he says.
“If someone comes back and says, ‘That was a great course,’ but you don’t give them a chance to use that knowledge, it’s not going have a beneficial impact on the business.
“And you can’t wait six months or a year to do that. You need to sit down, talk about what they’ve learned, and ask, ‘Well, what can we do differently around here?’ Ideally, you’ll not only make changes but also give the employee the chance to take charge of that project and put their new skills to use.”
In the end, says Moes, one reason stands out above all: “When someone is trained, it’s better for your business. So send them away and get them trained.”
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