A huge number of organisations forget to factor in a training cost to their projects. There is an assumption that ‘people will just pick it up’, perhaps thinking this will save time and money. That may appear true on the monthly balance sheet, but over time your business can pay a far higher price.

Can The Lack Of Training Impact Business?

Consider this, would the world’s number one golfer or tennis star go straight into an important competition or match with new clubs or a new style racket without having tried them out first and practised with them? I very much doubt it.

The performance will suffer, more mistakes are made. This will impact on the result.

It is the same in any business. Just giving your workforce the right tools to do the job won’t magically provide the desired results unless they get the proper training to use them.

The bottom line is, training increases user adoption and improves performance.

If your business invests in new software, upgrades to a more recent version, or even brings in new staff, without training performance will suffer. If you want to both protect the investment and drive results, the most effective way to do that is through timely and efficient training.

Find SAP BusinessObjects Training Courses

What Are The Benefits Of Quality Training?

So, what are some of the main reasons behind training your staff?

• Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees
• Improved employee motivation and engagement
• Enhanced efficiency in processes, resulting in financial gain
• Improved capacity to adopt new technologies and methods
• Greater innovation in strategies and products
• Reduced employee turnover and absenteeism
• Improved skills improve business quality: Results, services or products will improve.

Business Benefits Of Training Can Include:

• Improved Bottom Line
  Improving efficiency, productivity and profitability will ultimately improve the bottom line.
• Improved Flexibility, Competitiveness and ability to Adapt
  Just as the latest golf club or racket can give a player the edge, so can new business tools – but if they are not used properly the advantage is lost. Allowing teams to implement new technology correctly not only improves direct results, it increases take-up of new strategies and ideas. Improved ability to embrace new trends and technologies creates better business flexibility. without suffering from skill shortages
• More opportunities for Business Growth
• Better customer satisfaction
• Better internal communication and leadership
• Less waste and reduced need for external costs

When Do Staff Need Training?

• New software purchases
• Upgrading to newer versions of old software
• Migrating Systems
• New staff, staff changing teams or promotion to new roles
• To “pilot”, or test, the operation of a new system
• When a performance appraisal indicates performance improvement is needed
• As part of an overall professional development program
• Succession planning, to help employees be eligible for organisational role change

Now we have in mind the benefits of training and when it may be needed, what is the best way to roll out your training plan?

Different Learning Styles

There are many different ways in which staff learn and we don’t all learn quickly or well by sitting alone with a text book! To ensure staff get the right training to suit their needs, different learning models have been defined to help understand how they learn.

One popular model explains that the vast majority of people fit into 1 of 3 learning styles. These 3 styles are visual learners, audio learners and kinaesthetic learners.

Visual Learner

• Uses visual objects such as graphs, charts, pictures and likes seeing information
• Can read body language well and has a good perception of aesthetics
• Able to memorise and recall various information
• Tends to remember things that are written down
• Learns better in lectures by watching

Audio Learner

• Retains information through hearing and speaking
• Often prefers to be told how to do things and then summarises the main points out loud
• Notices different aspects of speaking

Kinaesthetic Learner

• Likes to use the hands-on approach to learning new material
• Would rather demonstrate how to do something rather than verbally explain it
• Prefers group work more than others

It is important to ensure when looking for staff training that the course leader fully understands the material and topic, but is also agile in adapting and incorporating different teaching methods into the training to suit.

Targeted Training – Goals And Planning

Now we understand how people learn, the next issue to address is what do they need to know.
Good trainers always answer vital questions when putting a training plan together.

• What are your training goals for this session?
  • New skills
  • New techniques for old skills
  • Better workplace behaviour
• Who is being trained?
  • New employees
  • Seasoned employees
  • Upper management
• What is your training budget?
• How much time has been allocated for training within your organisation?

All of the above questions should be able to be answered after a detailed Training Needs Analysis has taken place (which we will be covering in our next Training Blog instalment)

Back To School? Rediscover The Classroom

In summary – Business Training for staff is often overlooked, either as a cost or time-saving. However training isn’t just important to any company, it is vital.
The mid and long term business benefits of training drive down costs, boost efficiency and performance, which all improve the bottom line. Staff feel the benefit, engagement rises and turnover drops. Everyone wins.

Identifying the need for training is just the first step. Getting the right training is the real secret to success.

Choose A Training Company With Experience

Not only a breadth and depth knowledge of the course content but also a great ability to understanding the needs and requirements of your staff. It’s why we ensure our course leaders have years of experience under their belts, both using the software and delivering sessions to groups of all sizes, abilities and needs.

Check The Course Has Positive User Feedback

It’s one thing for a business having a great training sales pitch, but it’s another to have proof. It is important to look for training providers that have positive feedback from actual course users.

Influential invite all those who train with us to provide feedback via CourseCheck. An independent 3rd party that allows verified course users to post reviews about the courses they take. So you can be sure that all the good feedback for Influential Training is genuine!

There are many delivery styles available to cater for the training needs of your organisation, but based on the learning styles that people have, there is only one that can meet them all in one go.
It’s time to go back to school and rediscover the classroom!

	Ask About Influential Training
Contact Influential’s Training Team Email: training@influentialsoftware.com Tel: 0207 337 6136 Or complete the form below to arrange a call-back. Error: Contact form not found.