Why is Now the Time to Invest in Training?

The business world has been turned on its head by the Covid-19 pandemic with its furlough schemes, work-from-home procedures, reduced turnover, lower production rates and travel restrictions, but during times of challenge, the one thing that shouldn’t be reduced is, training.

While many firms might be tightening their belts (looking for ways to increase profit margins and cut spending) the brightest and boldest firms are spending more on training their teams to ensure they are well-equipped to cope with future challenges, motivated to perform at their best, up-to-date with regulations and compliance, and that those in leadership roles have the required skills to help others achieve their goals.

This is because training offers a win-win solution to many of the problems faced by firms in the current financial climate.

Employees gain additional knowledge and skills, and are more satisfied in their job, while firms benefits from their improved performance and increased production.

Statistics support these views with recent studies showing that 76% of GenZ employees believe that workplace learning is key to success in their career while almost half believe that eLearning improves their job performance.

At Creative Word Training, we believe professional learning and development are the foundation for business growth and success and our work with partners such as, Dubai Legal Affairs Department, has facilitated the creation of accredited courses that are the benchmark for quality training within the industry.

When it comes to professional training, we know a thing or two, and believe investment in training should be top priority, especially during these challenging times, and here’s why…

1. Training Improves Employee Engagement and Motivation

During times of crisis our motivation is often one of the first things that suffers.

This is because we tend to spend more time worrying about what might happen and not enough time on focussing how to move forward or looking for opportunities to resolve our problems.

Training offers the chance for employees to build new skills, discover fresh perspectives, gain knowledge and keep up-to-date with industry or technological changes.

Motivation is thus improved as employees feel confident in their ability, have the skills they need to do their job well and (most importantly) they feel valued by their employer.

Employees who believe their firm supports and invests in them are more inclined to work harder, longer hours and be more productive.

Interestingly, they are motivated by more than just financial gain, becoming loyal employees who progress through the ranks rather than leave to work for the competition.

2. Training Helps Identify and Rectify Problem Areas

The unprecedented difficulties firms have experienced over the last couple of years have forced many underlying issues to the fore.

Areas which firms have particularly noted as having become more problematic during the pandemic are leadership roles, conflict resolution, team dynamics and employee engagement.

These areas are all linked to soft skills.

Problem solving, team building, managing challenging behaviour, improving group dynamics, building resilience, and so on, are desirable in every industry, role, and location, even when there isn’t a pandemic.

Today, these skills have become vital in ensuring employees are fully supported by those in management positions, that leaders are able to confidently deal with difficult behavioural issues, and that remote teams are still able to focus as a cohesive unit.

3. Employee Training Invites Innovation

Another major reason for continuing employee training or learning and development programmes, during the current pandemic, is that training invites and strengthens innovation, especially in areas linked to technology and IT.

Challenging employees to move out of their comfort zone, assess risks, discover new advances and embrace technological progress (especially when they can do this in a safe environment without fear of failure or judgement, as they do while on a training course) will create a setting where employees can attain knowledge and push their personal boundaries.

Gaining expertise in areas such as IT, Finance or Technology will help move your firm into a stronger position for the future and ensure you aren’t left behind by your competitors.

If your firm is considering reducing your current training budget as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it is definitely worth thinking about the points made above, and the positive effect that training has on employees and their abilities.

We can help tailor a bespoke training programmes suited your requirements so you can be sure that your training budget is money well-spent.

Contact us for more information or view our courses here.