Recently a prospective client reviewed Vado’s courses and had the following reaction, “You mean, employees have to do something on the job once the course is done? That just seems like too much work.”

I asked the prospective client why they were delivering training and development to their employees and managers. I offered a response. Is it so you can “check a box” that you completed this effort, or is there another reason to train and develop your employees?

I would like to think that there is only one reason to develop your employees—that is improved employee performance and improved organizational results. Consider the training and development you offer your employees—does it help your employees perform their current job better, or does it develop them for future career goals? It should.

Think about it. If you train an employee to use a piece of equipment, you expect the employee to perform better the next time he or she is asked to operate that piece of equipment. Why not expect the same from your leadership and management development? Even required Government required training, such compliance and safety training, is expected to increase performance by reducing or eliminating safety concerns, on the job accidents, or expensive legal claims.

Of course organizations experience other benefits from training and developing employees:

Employee engagement

According to research conducted by Gallup, employee development, opportunities for development, and knowing an employee’s manager cares about the employee’s development, are all factors that increase employee engagement. And we all know engaged employees are much more productive.

Employee retention

In a 2013 Career Builder survey, 35% of the respondents indicated that if their organization increased the training and development opportunities, they would stay with the employer. Employee retention also leads to improved organizational performance.

If a company is serious about developing employees to increase employee engagement, retention, and performance, they would understand that employees applying what they learn on the job is an investment rather than “work.”

Now come to think of it, the prospective client that made the comment about Vado’s courses being too much work was really not a prospect at all. That person merely wanted to “check a box” and get credit for offering training to their employees—and that’s not what Vado is all about.

Contributing Author:

Cindy Pascale is the CEO and co-founder of Vado and has 16+ years of HR, Training & Development and OD leadership experience and 12 years running talent management, development and assessment companies. Vado is the e-learning courseware provider ‘changing the face of learning’.

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