Why is it so difficult to get people to recognise the value of training?

It is after all, a vital element in any organisation. Training and development has the potential to increase the output and capabilities of any organisation.

Invest in your staff, and you will see the return.

It is that simple, when you strive to develop the skills of your employees you are increasing their ability to do what you need them to do, you are also increasing their productivity and the standard of the work that they are doing.

Despite training being a clearly measurable  method of improving business, managers and staff still don’t appreciate its value. Even those that support training seminars have to contend with other issues including budget, which often means valuable training is being neglected and the workforce suffers as a result.

There has been a shift in perceptions of training over the years, staff used to think of it as a break from work in which they can further their skills and progress in their careers, but now overworked employees are reluctant to even attend training sessions with the fear of making up for lost time on their other work duties.

There are a number of factors that may contribute to these perceptions, but there is just one that we as trainers have control over; the training industry itself.

There are a number of issues with the industry that we can tackle head on and use as a means of changing perceptions of our work, and help people to once again understand its value.

Problems with the Training Industry

1. Trainers are more interested in selling a program than helping the staff improve performance or organisation effectiveness.
2. Trainers generally come from other jobs, they rarely choose training as a primary career choice and therefore don’t have rigorous training in how to actually train others. In this instance trainers can benefit from short courses that further their training skills.
3. The training profession is dominated by the idea that the trainer does not need to have an advanced knowledge of what they are teaching.

 Training as a business

Training is fundamentally a business, you will already know this based on the numerous brochures and leaflets that you might have lying around the office that tell you why some training courses are the best; the best price, the best service and the best quality. These are the basic mechanics of marketing in action, with training the product and trainers are the salesperson. Large training organisations do this very well, they market their courses as being essential to your business.

The truth is that when carried out properly, all training is essential to your business.

But trainers can forget the core reason that the industry exists. The business aspect of the training industry can distort the important objective of developing the skills of others.

So here are some tips for you as a customer to choose the trainer that is right for you, and avoid those who run their training operation as a quick sale.

Look For Trainers That:

• Ask many questions about your workplace, staff and purpose.
• Customise their seminars based on a needs assessment process.
• Treat training as a service, not a sale.

Avoid Trainers That:

• That are clearly selling a one size fits all training approach.
• Claim that their program will solve all of your problems.
• Are more interested in talking than listening.

This has been a look at the first internal reason why training is undervalued and what you can do as a customer to get the best training that you can.

Look out for our next blog where we will focus on the second problem with the training industry.

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