| To most organisations, the benefits of investing in | | | | annual performance reviews can both be a worthwhile |
| ongoing staff training are clear. They include: | | | | exercise, neither approach will give you an accurate |
| - Process improvements: reduced duplication of effort, | | | | company-wide picture of the organisation's skills status |
| less time spent correcting mistakes, faster access to | | | | and future training requirements at one point in time. As |
| information, etc. | | | | such, an annual or bi-annual online staff training needs |
| - Cost savings: lower staff turnover, lower recruitment | | | | survey is becoming an increasingly popular approach |
| costs; reduction in bad debts; reduced customer | | | | to address this requirement. |
| support calls; reduced help desk calls; reduced need | | | | When assessed against the alternatives of |
| for supervision; reduced downtime; increased staff | | | | paper-based or face-to-face training needs analysis |
| productivity; fewer machine breakdowns; lower | | | | surveys, we find the online approach has a number of |
| maintenance costs, etc. | | | | clear advantages. These include: |
| - Improved profitability: increased sales; more referrals | | | | 1. Speed and ease of reporting: online survey results |
| due to better customer service; new product ideas; | | | | are generated instantly, and anyone given authorisation |
| improved customer satisfaction and retention, etc. | | | | can access the results from any web browser in the |
| - Performance improvement: in quality, quantity, speed, | | | | World, at any time, with the data securely held on |
| safety, problem solving, etc. | | | | encrypted servers. If the same survey is used results |
| - Behavioural improvements: in attitude, ethics, | | | | can also be compared from month to month, or year |
| motivation, leadership, communication, reduced staff | | | | to year to help spot trends and assist with budgeting |
| conflict, etc. | | | | and planning. The online approach also saves |
| - Increased staff satisfaction: Well trained staff tend to | | | | significant time with distributing and administering the |
| be happier, stay longer, and are more loyal. | | | | survey as a survey link is simply e-mailed to |
| Furthermore, research undertaken to uncover the | | | | employees. |
| financial impact to an organisation of investing in staff | | | | 2. Data entry time/expense/errors: the online survey |
| training shows a clear and quantifiable link between an | | | | quickly stores the exact data and scoring entered by |
| above average investment in staff training and | | | | each employee. Management's data entry requirement |
| superior bottom line performance: | | | | is removed. |
| - Based on the training investments of 575 companies | | | | 3. High cost: compared with the paper or face-to-face |
| during a 3-year period, researchers found that firms | | | | alternatives, the online TNA process has been shown |
| investing the most in training and development | | | | to cost up to 80% less, and reduce decision making |
| (measured by total investment per employee and | | | | time by up to 90%. |
| percentage of total gross payroll) yielded a 36.9% total | | | | 4. Consistency: when a decentralised, verbal training |
| shareholder return compared with the 25.5% weighted | | | | needs analysis system is replaced by a centralised |
| return for the S&P 500 index for the same period. | | | | online process, the training survey issued is the same |
| [1] | | | | for all employees and comparison of like-for-like results |
| - Firms that invest $1,500 per employee in training (per | | | | made easy. |
| year) compared with those that spend $125 | | | | 5. Interviewer bias or interpretation errors: the 'interview' |
| experience an average of 24% higher gross profit | | | | is in the form of an online survey and what the |
| margins and 218% higher revenue per employee. [2] | | | | employee types is exactly what HR report on. |
| - Just a 2% increase in productivity has been shown | | | | Once the company-wide survey has been conducted, |
| to net a 100% return on investment in training. [3] | | | | the next steps in the training strategy development |
| - A Louis Harris and Associates poll reports that | | | | process include: |
| among employees with "poor" training opportunities, | | | | |
| 41% planned to leave within a year, whereas of those | | | | 1. Analyse the survey results. |
| who considered their company's training opportunities | | | | 2. Create a staff training profile. |
| to be "excellent", only 12% planned to leave within the | | | | 3. Develop a training development plan. |
| same period. | | | | 4. Communicate the training development plan to all |
| So, if we accept the findings above that support the | | | | employees. |
| case for investing in a formal staff training program, | | | | 5. Implement the training. |
| how does one go about identifying staff training | | | | 6. Evaluate the training effectiveness. [4] |
| requirements and putting a suitable program in place? | | | | It is recommended that this process be conducted on |
| Enter The Staff Skills Audit: | | | | a 12 monthly cycle at a minimum. In short, a well |
| If a company's strategic plan involves doubling the | | | | constructed skills audit and training needs analysis |
| workforce size within 3 years and opening two | | | | process will provide a fast and accurate snapshot of |
| completely new divisions during that period, then you | | | | workforce training requirements, assist with training |
| would hope that the company's HR Management | | | | vendor selection and budgeting, and ultimately help |
| team have a good handle on what skills the company | | | | improve employee retention levels and overall staff |
| currently has, and what new skills it needs to obtain in | | | | satisfaction. |
| order for the company to meet its business objectives. | | | | Research sources: |
| As such, a staff skills audit (uncovering current | | | | 1. American Society for Training and Development |
| situation) and training needs analysis (guiding future | | | | (ASTD). |
| direction) is a vital first step in obtaining company-wide | | | | 2. Laurie J. Bassi et al., "Profiting From Learning: Do |
| quantitative data on what skills an organisation's | | | | Firms' Investments in Education and Training Pay Off?" |
| workforce currently has, and (based on the company's | | | | American Society for Training and Development, 2000. |
| business objectives) where the skills gaps lie. | | | | 3. "The 2001 Global Training and Certification Study," |
| Whilst conducting face-to-face meetings with a select | | | | CompTIA and Prometric. |
| few staff members to discuss training requirements, or | | | | 4. EOWA.gov.au - 'Training Needs Analysis and Skills |
| ensuring training needs are raised with staff at their | | | | Audit'. |