Training and development is generally perceived as a subset of the human resources function limited to vetting vendors and scheduling training timetables to ensure the training budget is efficiently utilised. As a performance management issue, it is viewed by some line managers as an intervention towards ensuring measurable performance improvement in subordinate staff.
Manufacturing and other concerns that produce physical goods have always placed a premium on training because of the reliance on skilled and unskilled labour in their processes, while the non-manufacturing sector was traditionally not as invested in this concern. What was traditionally the domain of the education sector has become a niche field within the human resources arena, with specialised qualifications and certifications for those desiring to identify themselves as subject-matter experts.
In this article, we will explore the issue of training and development and the impact it can have on organisations.
The difference between training and development
Employee training and development includes any activity that helps employees acquire new or improve existing knowledge or skills. The term ‘training and development’ describes the generalisation of the function performed by the individual or department that refers to separate but interrelated activities. Despite the terms often being used interchangeably, they are more akin to cousins than twins.
The Association of Training and Development identifies training as a formal process that helps individuals improve performance, while development is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, or attitudes that prepare people for new directions or responsibilities. It is also important to note that both training and development activities can be formal or informal with activities such as mentoring, coaching, or project work. These activities help broaden an employee’s understanding of a business unit, sector, or industry by exposing them to experiences that may be outside their job function.
Benefits of training and development
The Association of Training and Development grouped career growth with learning and development as the second most cited reason for employee retention. Feeling valued and respected was ranked as the main reason employees remain with their firms. It is not difficult to see the correlation between these two factors.
A company that values and respects its employees will invest in the improvement of staff, embodying the concept of valuing their human capital as the greatest asset of the organisation. Research conducted by Deloitte revealed that organisations with a strong learning culture are 92 per cent more likely to develop novel products and processes, be 52 per cent more productive, be 56 per cent more likely to be the first to market with their products and services, and be 17 per cent more profitable than their peers. The same study cited employee engagement and retention rates as being 30 per cent to 50 per cent higher.
A LinkedIn study conducted in 2019 revealed that 94 per cent of employees said they would stay with their employer if it invested in their development. These studies suggest that employee turnover can be reduced and profitability increased by adequate investment in employee training and development.
Cultural socialisation masquerading as training
Onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into an organisation. It includes activities that help new employees understand the company’s structure, culture, vision, mission, and values. Part of this process involves orienting the new employee to the requirements and operations of their job function and acclimatising them to the environment. It is part of the socialisation process.
The Introduction to Sociology text defines socialisation as the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of a society. It describes the ways that people come to understand societal norms and expectations, accept society’s beliefs, and be aware of societal values. It involves the acquisition of social skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary for effective participation in social groups.
If we look within our organisations and ask, “Are we training, developing, or encouraging employees to give their best based on the organisation’s strategic outlook, or are we ensuring the status quo is maintained?” One can only hope the answer to the former is yes and the latter is no.
Did the firm go through the expensive and time-consuming process of recruiting the best and brightest candidates, only to tell them, “This is how we do things around her,” and label them as maladaptive if they fail to conform? If the matter is escalated to human resources for mediation, are appropriate inquiries conducted to determine the root cause and administer natural justice, or is the most expedient outcome pursued regardless of the truth of the situation? These are inconvenient questions, the answers to which should attract earnest introspection at the personal and corporate levels.
How training and development works
Designing and delivering effective training or development programmes are highly technical tasks requiring specific knowledge and skills that are normally not resident within many organisations, hence the need to engage external vendors. For illustration, there are three domains of learning, the cognitive (knowledge), the affective (attitudes or beliefs) and programme psychomotor (skills or abilities). A training or development programme must specify outcomes in one or more of these domains, ensuring they align with the company’s core values, strategic outlook, and human resource outlook while factoring in environmental and operational considerations such as budget allocations, staff availability, and time allotment.
Balancing on this tightrope of not-so-complimentary circumstances can lead to a sacrifice in one or more areas. The results can vary from employees using training as an excuse to escape work to total non-engagement, where management resorts to assertive measures to compel attendance. Both result in negative outcomes for the employer and the employee. An effective training or development programme should achieve the desired outcomes in the specified learning domains and produce energised, engaged staff who are eager to apply their upgraded knowledge, skills, and abilities, supported by management prepared to reap an exponential return on investment from empowered staff with upgraded capabilities.
Conclusion
There is considerable breadth and depth to training and development, and despite its deep roots in education, it has always been a staple in the corporate arena, notwithstanding its historical, understated presence. As a human capital concern, it is organic to the human resources function but should be afforded its due deference because of its far-reaching influence on corporate culture, employee turnover, productivity metrics, and organisational profitability.
