Cofounder of Advisability Group.
Enhancing and refining professional skills is not merely a trend today. Companies that effectively implement employee training systems can not only attract qualified candidates but also retain their specialists. As evidenced by a survey, 73% of applicants (report in Russian) emphasize the importance of corporate training, indicating that organizing this process offers companies a competitive advantage.
Corporate Training Allows Companies To:
• Upgrade employee qualifications. Technologies are constantly evolving, with new industry requirements and standards introduced annually. Staying informed about these changes is essential.
• Motivate team members. Training offers personnel the opportunity to develop and grow professionally, boosting motivation and loyalty towards the company.
• Cultivate a positive company image. This can be leveraged as a marketing tool to attract new clients (e.g., “Our employees continuously refine their skills!”).
• Adapt team members to business changes. This can enable a company to maintain competitiveness in the market.
• Reduce costs associated with hiring new employees with the required qualifications. Training empowers the company to develop its own talent pool.
Internal And External Employee Training
Employee development can be achieved through an organization’s internal resources (internal training) or by partnering with companies specialized in corporate education (external training), attending forums, conferences and other external events.
In my opinion, an effective approach involves a combination of both internal and external systems.
External Training May Involve:
• Enabling employees to participate in specialized external seminars, workshops and conferences.
• Conducting courses for skill enhancement and professional retraining.
• Arranging internships and knowledge exchange with other companies operating in related industries.
• Providing access to online courses and educational programs offered by external providers.
Internal Training May Involve:
• Organizing meetings with company leaders to discuss strategy and goals.
• Conducting seminars and workshops for employees on various topics related to their professional activities.
• Initiating internal conferences and meetings to facilitate knowledge and experience exchange among team members.
• Creating in-house online courses and educational programs for self-study.
Creating An Effective Employee Skill Enhancement System: A Personal Example
My company achieved an effective personnel training system for our employees by standardizing elements for skill enhancement. For instance, all team leads undergo training in team management, effective meetings, task delegation and more. At the same time, department heads also initiate training systems tailored to the needs of their teams.
Initiating Training In The Company
Consider maintaining flexibility: This can be initiated by the company’s training and expertise center, HR business partners or the employees themselves, who are eager to attend specialized events or improve their skills. If a team member wants to learn a new profession, such as project management but doesn’t know where to start, create a training center to provide either in-house resources or suggest external options.
Additionally, our company has four HR business partners (HRBPs) who manage human resources and support business processes related to personnel management. This can help an organization bridge the gap between company management and employees, as each HRBP should understand the specific needs of their business unit and ensure that employees receive the necessary resources. For instance, if they oversee the finance division, they organize attendance at relevant forums and conferences.
Employing External And Internal Training Systems
Every employee should have the opportunity to pursue external courses to enhance professional competencies that are currently required by the team or will be necessary for future positions. The company can either fully fund the training or provide partial compensation. My company invites external speakers to conduct training sessions, workshops, seminars and webinars on current topics every six months. For instance, a sociologist-psychologist helped the team manage stress and burnout, an international-level coach taught conflict resolution, a networking specialist discussed developing networking skills and so on.
Internally, an employee can approach the training center and receive the necessary assistance and support. For example, my company offers a personal development project for employees, which includes free webinars, courses on time management, stress resilience, emotional competencies and more. After completing a course, each participant shares their impressions and receives feedback from our center’s specialists. Every quarter, all team members participate in performance reviews, where the principle is for a manager and an employee to discuss work-related matters for an hour—achievements, challenges and solutions. Based on these meetings, the skills to be enhanced by each employee are determined, forming individual development plans.
Checklist For Establishing The Fundamental Blocks Of A Corporate Development System
1. Create job descriptions and a list of employee competencies by department.
2. Diagnose employee motivation for learning within the company (to understand how learning is best facilitated: remotely, in-person, through workshops, through mentorship, etc.).
3. Assess employee training needs by department, aligned with company goals and plans.
4. Calculate and approve the annual training budget.
5. Develop and finalize procedures, methodologies and control points to evaluate training effectiveness.
6. Conduct employee training.
7. Adjust training based on post-training evaluation.
For External Organization: Conduct market research, select courses and create a course database that best suits company and employee needs. Provide continuous support and motivation for employees to continue developing and applying acquired knowledge and skills in their work.
For Internal Organization: Build a pool of basic training or remote courses that often cover various needs. For example, if the company is in sales, this could include all sales stages, time management, questioning skills, conflict resolution, etc. Establish a training system: Determine frequency, development directions, format and topics, and work on creating individual development plans.
It’s important for your company to create conditions for regular assessment of employees’ professional skills and to ensure feedback. This can help understand team members’ skill levels and identify which skills need development.
Overall, the trend towards continuous self-improvement and upgrading hard skills is an integral part of modern business. Companies that successfully implement such a system can attract and retain highly qualified professionals and effectively compete in the market.
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