18 Benefits and Importance of Training & Development
Training is the act of teaching employees new skills & knowledge to help them improve their job performance and execute assigned job responsibilities more efficiently. Training teaches organized activities for enhancing the technical skills of the employees to enable them to do a particular job more accurately & successfully. Training is equally important for the existing as well as new employees. It enables the new employees to get acquainted with their jobs and increase the job related knowledge and skills of the existing employees. Development programs involves in more extensive employee growth plan focusing for future performance rather than immediate career role improvement. Development is the process by which the employees acquire skills and competencies to do their present jobs and increase their capabilities for handling high capacity jobs in future. Development has a wider perspective which involves acquiring not only technical skills but also upcoming problem solving and decision making skills. Implementing effective Training & Development programs for employees are absolutely essential in this changing environment for all the organizations. It is one of the most important activity of HR department which helps in improving competency of employees. Training & Development programs plays important role for the progress & sustainability of an organization. At present world is very much competitive, where nothing is static, market demand is changing in every moment. As a result successful organizations need to become active & farsighted in operating their business processes and keep on implementing the changes so that they can be competitive in the market. For obtaining the competitive advantages organizations need to implement proper training & development programs to educate their employees with the proper & timely skills.
Benefits & Importance of Training and Development Programs
Training & Development Programs are very important for the organizations who wants to take competitive advantage of changes, techniques and improvements. Well planned, effectively designed and properly implemented Training & Development programs is widely important and beneficial for both the employees & the organization. Training & Development Programs gives a lot of benefits to the employees and the organizations which are listed below.
1. Identifying skill gaps & addressing employee weaknesses
Employees knowledge & skill gaps/lackings are identified through the process of training need analysis by the HR department. Accordingly, training topics and effective training & development programs are designed & implemented. By obtaining regular feedback from the outcomes of the training, necessary corrective actions is taken and these process continues till overcoming of skill gaps & weakness of employees to perform the assigned jobs. As a result most of the employees become able to minimize their job performance related weaknesses by acquiring required job skills.
2. Creating a highly Skilled & Competitive Workforce
Every organization is comprises of excellent/very good (A), good (B) and average/poor(C) category employees. It is the objective of the Training & Development programs to convert/transform C category employees to B category and B category employees to A category. In the process most of the employees develop their job performance grade by obtaining required skills. Job processes and requirements are changing on regular basis. To cope up with the changes company’s need to acquire competitive advantage over their competitors. Organizations which are conducting effective training & development programs throughout the year are ensuring availability of competent workforce to adapt with the changes successfully.
3. Utilization of Manpower in an optimized way
It is needless to say that skilled employees will perform jobs more accurately & efficiently than semi-skilled or unskilled employees. In some instances one employee can perform multiple jobs at a time. As such organizations those emphasizes on Training & Development programs may utilize their manpower in an optimized way and ended up in a cost effective Manpower Planning for them.
4. Increasing employee Performance & Productivity with Quality Assurance
Employees skill gaps & job performance weak areas are identified and reinforced through effective Training & Development Programs. After successful completion of T & D programs employees are aware about what to do & how to do their jobs most efficiently & effectively. As a result job performance, quality of job, accuracy of job and efficiency of the employees will increase significantly which certainly improve the overall productivity of the company significantly.
5. Building Team Spirit & supporting culture among the employees
When a group of employees become well skilled & knowledgeable for performing their assigned jobs, they become confident and eager to support others willingly to perform their job roles successfully. Thus cooperative/supportive culture prevails among the employees which boost up team spirit & results in higher productivity.
6. Ensuring Personal Growth of Employees with Career Progression
Most of the Human beings want to foresee their career progression path of the future life. Employees become skilled in performing their job roles through the effective Training & Development Programs. By providing better job performance, they get reward through increment of salary & promotion. In course of time properly trained & developed employees can ensure their career progression within the organization or in another organization by availing better job opportunity.
7. Promote Knowledge Sharing & Systematic Learning Culture
A specific job can be performed by different employees in different ways. When Training & Development Programs are implemented in a systematic way all of the employees become skilled to perform a particular job in the same process/way. As a result a particular job will be performed in a synchronized way by offering better output. In the systemic learning process most of the employees attain required knowledge & skills. So, if someone make any mistake, others can easily help him to make necessary correction. Thus, systematic learning & knowledge sharing culture develops with the organization which helps in team building & enhanced productivity.
8. Maintaining employee Code of Conduct effectively
An organization consists of different policies and employee code of conducts. Policies and Code of Conducts are set as per the Labor Law of the country, company’s own rules & regulations, different Buyers requirement and many other internal & external factors. Effective Training & Development Programs properly educate the employees about company’s policies & code of conducts. As a result employees get encouraged to obey/maintain code of conducts & policies properly my making minimum mistakes.
9. Improve Employee Morale & Satisfaction level
If someone has weaknesses & face difficulties to perform assigned job responsibilities properly s/he always feel uncomfortable and demotivated. Through effective Training & Development program when s/he become well skilled by overcoming the weaknesses, the concern employee is found more confident & satisfied. When an employee morale is high, s/he become fully confident, perform assigned job responsibilities with satisfaction level and the organization get optimum productivity from his/her end.
10. Reduce Employee Turnover & attract potential employees
Skilled& Knowledgeable employees found through Training & Development programs are usually satisfied with their job roles and performances. They get job comfort, better reward & recognition from the organization. As a result absenteeism from the job & employee turnover rate is significantly reduced. Potential employees who are in search of jobs when informed about the ongoing effective Training & Development programs of an organization are more eager to join in that organization to develop their job skills & ensure career progression.
11. Developing Managerial Skills & Creating Future Leaders
Employee development programs are usually designed to improve existing job skills of the mid to upper level management employees & also to initiate requisite learning programs for them to obtain new ideas/techniques/skills for supporting the organization to mitigate crisis situation in future. Development programs like leadership skills, decision making skills, crisis management skills, communication skills etc. improve employee self-confidence & develop their managerial skills. By acquiring these types of wider skills, the concern employees become capable to play leadership roles in the company in the near future.
12. Making the company competitive to address present and future challenges
Now a day’s business world is very much challenging, nothing is static, market demand is changing in every moment. For an organization to become successful with this challenging work environment, need to acquire competitive advantage over their competitors. Skilled workforce is one of the most vital component to achieve competitive advantage. If an organization implement proper training & development programs and educate their employees with the proper & timely skills/techniques/knowledge, it can easily achieve required competency level to address present and future challenges successfully.
13. Reducing operating cost through skilled workforce
Skilled & knowledgeable workforce not only improve productivity but also reduce the overall operating cost. Properly trained & skilled employees uses their machines & materials in most efficient & cost effective way. Due to their gathered knowledge wastages, accidents and damages reduces in the work process. As a result overall operational cost of the company in minimized.
14. Getting desired performances from newly joined employees quickly
Orientation program is a special type of training program which is designed & implemented for the newly joined employees. Employees know about the organization, departmental organograms, its policies/procedures, code of conducts and their individual job roles to play in the organization. When an employee get clear idea about the organization’s different activities and the details of his/her job responsibilities s/he will likely to provide desired successful job output within the quickest possible time.
15. Act as an Effective source of Internal Recruitment
Skilled & Knowledgeable employee are assets of the company. Through effective Training & Development programs some employees found so effective that they can perform multiple/ higher level jobs very successfully. In an organization employee joining & leaving is a common practice. Vacant positions are usually filled up through external sources of recruitment. If the in house employees possesses required skills of the vacant position, they can be promoted & assigned the job roles of the vacant positions. Thus properly skilled employees found through Training & Development programs, can be a useful cost effective internal source of recruitment.
16. Improving workplace Compliance, Safety & Hygiene
In the present business world Compliance play a vital role. Compliance associated different training & development programs are implemented in most of the organizations. Compliance emphasizes on work place security, safety & hygiene issues. When the employees are properly trained they will certainly maintain work place safety and health hygiene. So, machine life will increase, wastages & accidents in the workplace will reduce and employees will enjoy a comfortable & hygiene work environment.
17. Improving of Customer/Client Satisfaction Level
An organization which can successfully continue effective training & development programs throughout the year, will be able to get/maintain a large pool of skilled & knowledgeable employees. These employees improve the productivity with due consideration of quality. If the customers get their ordered products with desired flawless quality within the scheduled delivery date on regular basis, their satisfaction level become high and they are encouraged to establish a long time fruitful business relationship with the organization.
18. Enhances company reputation & profile in the market
Conducting regular Training & Development programs in an effective way is a very good practice for the organization. Through these programs organization develop skilled & satisfied workforce who directly improve the productivity of organization & help to achieve its sets goals. Company activities are regularly observed by the customers/clients, suppliers, competitors, government regulatory bodies, potential employees of the market etc. By implementing & sustaining Effective Training & Development programs a company can enhance its reputation in the market significantly.