June 12, 2022
As an employer, you may be facing some or all of the 7 challenges in training and development outlined below.
You probably have people who have been adapting to the inevitable changes thrust upon them due in the last couple of years. For example, the new world of work has seen a seismic shift in hybrid and home working.
For many people, this has been dramatic. As a result, employee expectations around work, fulfilling their roles, and balancing personal and professional responsibilities have changed significantly.
Why 7 Challenges in Training and Development?
Training and development are now very high on employees’ agenda. We have had many discussions with our clients, and the following 7 challenges in Training and Development represent the most common concerns.
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So below we explain how to overcome these critical issues, and debunk some myths.
1. Provide The Training That Employees Want
Working through the turmoil of lockdowns and emerging from those, employees now value soft skills more than before the pandemic. According to a recent research report, they rate soft skills training as being essential. Hopefully, as an employer, you do too?
For many employees, lockdown and working from home was a test of courage and resilience to get to grips with:
- Unfamiliar technology, and
- Communicating in different ways, such as Zoom.
We now take these factors as part of the new-normal. So apart from job-related technical skills, the top two skills people want to learn are:
Team working/collaboration skills
Leadership and management skills
Source: Learner Survey Report 2022
Hybrid working and remote working did exist pre-covid as the technology already existed. However, the uptake of technology such as Zoom, Teams and Slack was explosive due to the necessity of lockdown.
Estimates are that the growth of technology uptake during 2020 would have taken seven years had Covid-19 not happened. So, the change was far from normal!
Therefore teams need investment in how to work effectively in the new world of work. With the adoption of technology and flexible working demanded by candidates, it is hardly surprising that employees and managers must adapt.
Seventy-four per cent (74%) of people see leadership and management skills as essential to their future development and career progression. Furthermore, eighty-one per cent (81%) also want to develop and improve their interpersonal skills.
Indeed, soft skills are more critical than ever as the nuance of face-to-face interaction in messaging or chat systems is difficult.
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2. What Employers Require from Training and Development
LinkedIn’s recent Workplace Learning Report looks at what companies focus their attention on when it comes to learning and development. Without a doubt, employee development has become a higher business priority since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The top three priorities identified are:
Upskilling
Reskilling
Leadership and Management
Source: LinkedIn
Those surveyed also recognise the importance of employee engagement, particularly as people continue to work remotely and may be experiencing loneliness and isolation. Therefore by encouraging teams to learn together, employees can become more motivated and committed.
3. The Future is Employee Development
Training and developing your existing employees has become even more important than before the pandemic. For example, the pandemic increased uncertainty for many companies and employees, making it harder to recruit the right people.
If you have tried recruiting recently, you may have discovered how difficult it is to find the right candidates for the right jobs and at the right time. It has become significantly more problematic.
If you struggle to find top talent, look at existing staff to see the potential for new or replacement positions. Your workplace will benefit if you adapt and support learning and development as it can play a significant role and is a win-win for many reasons.
Example Advantages
- The cost of training your existing employees can be significantly less than the cost of recruitment.
- Your current staff are already familiar with your company, your values, and how you do what you do.
- Upskilling in technical and soft skills provides excellent opportunities for employees to progress and develop new skills to benefit your organisation.
- Training and Development programmes can significantly improve morale and employee engagement.
4. Identifying Your Training and Development Needs
One factor behind any of the above examples is whom you want to train vs which employees are willing to. You may have human resources support to advise how to assess the needs appropriately.
For example, you may need to create specific learning for your employees. Furthermore, to promote the importance of skills development to your employees.
However, there is a problem here. Your company may not have the HR expertise to carry out training needs analysis. Consequently, you may need can help with this. Although SVC Training has many courses listed, most of what we do is adapt the training to the needs of our clients and their delegates. If you don’t have in-house expertise, let’s talk.
5. The Myth about Expensive Training and Development
A significant and sometimes hidden cost eating into your profit is staff turnover. Finding and keeping people is critical.
Did you see the bit above about “The cost of training your existing employees can be significantly less than the cost of recruitment“?
The actual cost of finding new staff can be eye-watering. It is hard to predict the actual employee recruitment and onboarding costs as many intangible and often untracked associated costs will eat away at your profits.
- Accounts & Legal Consultants calculate the cost to replace an employee earning the average UK salary of £27,721 could be up to £12,000.
- The Undercover Recruiter demonstrates that based on the average salary figure, you will need to budget closer to £50,000 in their first year of employment.
SVC Solutions has provided consultancy and solutions in Training, Recruitment and Human Resources for over twenty years. We join the dots and understand the issues that clients face. Upskilling and Reskilling is a sensible approach, and the return on investment can be significant.
6. Improving Employee Engagement
Improving employee engagement means better staff retention. As business leaders, we cannot underestimate the importance of this. In addition to a higher demand for remote or hybrid working and flexible working hours, many people increasingly want to feel that they are making a difference.
If you do not adapt, train & develop your people, you may lose them.
7. Pay Attention to Employee Retention
There is a train of thought that people are unwilling to rock the boat and seek new jobs in the current uncertain recruitment market. However, the problem is that this assumption may be completely wrong.
Consider these facts:
In 2018, at any given time, the percentage of people actively seeking to escape their current employment was:
Up to one-third were planning to leave
Source: BBC Radio 4, The Wrong Job, Reinventing the Workplace
In 2022, the percentage of people who plan to look for a new job within the next 12 months is:
Planning to escape
Source: The Learner Survey 2021 Report
A scary 40% – four in every ten employees! Think about that for a moment and consider some of the costs we refer to above in finding replacements. Maybe it is worth investing money on Training and Development to improve Employee Engagement after all.
Why Do 2 in 5 Employees Want to Change Their Employer?
The primary reasons cited for wanting to leave in the latest learner survey and report are due to:
- seek better pay and benefits (48%)
- reskill / upskill (19%)
- move industries (19%)
In the 2021 learner survey and report, seventeen per cent (17%) were looking for a bigger salary. However, in the 2022 report, a staggering forty-eight percent (48%) are now looking to move for better pay and benefits.
It is important to note that Reskilling, upskilling, and Learning & Development remain essential, where nineteen per cent (19%) of those questioned cite this as their reason for seeking alternative employment.
Employees had time to reflect during lockdowns, and many are still looking for work that provides them with greater purpose. In addition, they seek meaningful roles in companies that align with their values.
Furthermore, the shift to remote working and hybrid working removes geographical limitations. Therefore the best candidates can work virtually for almost any business. Undoubtedly this creates extremedifficulty in recruiting the best talent as it has become increasingly competitive.
Without a doubt, the time to invest in your people strategy is now.
Looking For Impressive Results?
If you are concerned about losing some employee availability during training, consider the more significant payback. For example, SVC’s Management In A Box programme is helping effective Upskilling or Reskilling, resulting in:
- A productivity uplift of up to twelve per cent.
- Increased profitability.
- Enabling employees to grow in their role.
Management In A Box clients are achieving results that are proving to be so great that this must be a priority if you want to gain:
- A more productive organisation.
- Increased competitive advantage to meet the demands of your customers.
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Client Testimonial
Grown massively in confidence
During my time on the Management in a Box course I have grown massively in confidence in my job role and in myself personally. This has been down to the exceptional level of coaching and mentoring I have received from SVC, which has pushed me to become the best version or myself I can be within my role.
You have shared a vast level of knowledge and experience in the industry and the passion you have for your job and students radiates onto the people you are developing, which I personally have found inspiring.
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Taking The First Step
If you have not yet started, then adapt. The world has changed permanently, and we need to change with it. Change our leadership style, change our working style, and ultimately see the last two years as an opportunity to create a working environment that fits the modern world. To adapt to the changes, the best way forward is to become a purpose-led company
We have all had a hard time over the last two years, but we need to see its opportunities. There are many positive outcomes we can take away from work-life balance, productivity, and access to skills by not being geographically tied down.
Remember, growth is often challenging, but its rewards usually outweigh this!
“I am learning again. We don’t have to change everything, but we do need to adapt and move forward. I am seeing the benefits here at SVC Solutions. How about you and your business?“
Amanda Coulson ‧ CEO & Founder
Get Help With the 7 Challenges in Training and Development
SVC Training can provide you and your team with a wide range of other virtual classroom skills-based courses and training to help you and your business. For a no-obligation confidential chat about how can help your company:
- Message us privately by using the Contact Us button below.
- Or call us on 01206 262117.
