Training is an integral part in generating profit for the company. That is because it helps improve employee engagement.
In an article published on Forbes.com, experts mentioned that 78% of leaders in business say that engagement, together with retention, is either urgent or important. The key is to build a multi-generational team that is both inclusive and passionate. It helps companies produce more profits as employees are made to feel like the success of the company is part of theirs. In fact, the article proceeded to note that “engaging people well is becoming one of the biggest competitive differentiators in business.”
In the past, the article mentioned how employee engagement is based on the manager and the HR reviews that we all know are closely related to annual appraisals. However, experts believe that it should go beyond that. Engaging employees means you have to inspire them and support them so they are attracted to stay and be productive in the company. And when it comes to training, it is not enough to tell them what to do or improve. Employees should be enabled to learn on their own. They should be given the opportunities to develop in their own way – outside the traditional and formal training programs.
Employee engagement, if you really want to boost it in your company, should be aligned with your development programs. That means it should be initiated by the HR or the Training Department. There is no doubt about that. However, it has to be done in such a way that will motivate your employees to seek out ways to improve themselves – not just wait on what will be given to them. This is why managers should work hand in hand in training to make sure initiatives and targets are met.
At the end of the line, the employee also has a role to play to make sure they are engaged. Once everything is handed to them, the motivation, the learning materials and the opportunities, it is up to them to respond correctly. Some people adapt to the change and improvements immediately. Some fight it all the way because they are wary of the changes.
Given that, the leaders of the company should be able to identify the employees that need more training encouragement than the rest. There are various levels of employee engagement. You have the people who are engaged and naturally passionate about their work. There are those who are only half engaged, going about their work without really pushing themselves as much as they should. Finally, there are those who are not engaged at all. These people do not work productively and even undermine those who are engaged in their work.
Obviously, leaders should concentrate on the last one more than the first. Some people reward the engaged people by giving them more training. But in truth, what they should be trying to reach out are those who are not engaged – especially when these people have exhibited amazing talent and skill in the past.
In the end, training programs should consider carefully how employee engagement should be improved and not just the specific skill and talent of the workers. Take a look at who you are training before you come up with an effective program.
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