Q&A Video Series: Training & Development with Anna Masheter from Beyond Learning

In this Q&A video we spoke to Anna Masheter, People Development expert from Beyond Learning, and asked her some questions about Training and Development.

What if I invest in all of this training and then they leave?

Lots of business owners are worried about this and yes, there is a risk that an employee will leave at some point, but why not maximise their talents and skills to maximise the quality of work for your business while they are with you? If your team members are as capable and able to do their job as possible, just imagine the quality of the work, and the knock-on effect on your customers. If they do leave at some point in the future, and you have treated them really well, they are going to speak highly of you and your business, and recommend other people to come and work for you.

People leave companies due to a lack of growth and development opportunities, and that doesn’t always have to be about career progression, it can be just about learning new skills and gaining new experiences, adding another string to their bow.

What is a starting point when coming up with a Training & Development programme?

The key thing for businesses is to look at it on a number of different levels. What does your business need in terms of skills, experience and behaviours? What does your business need in the future, not just today. Look at it at an individual level, have a personal development plan in place for everyone, ask them how you can help them to develop within their role and what do they want to do to retain motivation. People don’t always want to progress their career; they might just want a variety to keep them interested. If you give people a broader experience you can manage risk in the business and move people around based on company need.

What is a personal development plan?

Personal development isa deliberate and personal practice of looking at what development a person needs to obtain a goal. Have a conversation about what they need to improve performance in the job. The plan can include training, qualifications, mentoring, projects, online learning, it doesn’t have to be really formal or really expensive.

It’s really important to ensure that employees are given ownership of their personal development, and that you agree with them how much time they can have to focus on it.

What are your top 3 tips for how a company can approach Training & Development?

1. Start at the business level what does the business need both now and in the future, taking into account skills, knowledge and behaviours.

2. Empower team members to feel that they can take charge of their own personal development plan, and keep it high on the agenda.

3. Keep it blended – formal courses, unstructured personal development. Access lots of different resources to keep it interesting.

In this market, where recruitment is difficult it’s worth taking the time to focus on your training and development, and making sure you are doing your best to retain your employees. If you need help with recruiting your next employee please get in touch.

If you are looking at bringing in external help to design and deliver a training and development programme, then please get in touch with Anna.

LinkedIn - anna@beyond-learning.co.uk - https://www.beyond-learning.co.uk/