Internal Training: The Employer s Competitive Advantage By: Emily Schelle, Director of Special Projects Shanelle Sorensen and Teresa Qiu, Operations

Transcription

1 Internal Training: The Emplyer s Cmpetitive Advantage By: Emily Schelle, Directr f Special Prjects Shanelle Srensen and Teresa Qiu, Operatins There is n questin that the jb market is always changing. And with it, s are the needs f tday s emplyees. That s why we survey ur candidates s we can share the mst up-t-date data with nnprfit rganizatins n what emplyees want frm their emplyers. Jb seekers, future emplyees, staff lking fr an exciting change -- each type f prfessinal ffers new insights and ideas t help ur rganizatins grw. Alng with that, they als have individual needs when it cmes t remaining happily engaged in their new r current jbs. But n the whle, what des it take fr yu t be seen as an emplyer peple want t wrk fr? It may seem bvius, but ur past candidate surveys shw that nt all the answers t these questins cme easily, nr are they the mst bvius. Frm June t August 2016, we surveyed 427 candidates1 abut the type f training they wuld be mst interested in receiving frm their emplyer. Specifically, we asked them: In what area d yu feel yu need r needed mre training frm yur current r past emplyer? Here are the results: Career develpment 38% Leadership develpment 23% Jb related skills 18% Wrk-life balance 12% Persnal develpment 4% Tw things are clear frm the results. First, that emplyees want t grw and develp in their current rles. And secnd, that career develpment is the clear frntrunner. Emplyees want t knw where they are headed, whether it be within an rganizatin r a specific career field. Leadership develpment is a clse secnd. As leaders begin t retire and mre millennials enter the wrk frce, emplyees (at all levels) see rm fr advancement and they als have a keen interest in taking n mre respnsibility at the leadership level. The nly catch is that they want t be prepared t d s. Of curse, jb-related skills remain an imprtant part f an rganizatin s internal training fferings. And while wrk-life balance and persnal develpment scred the lwest, they still hld great value t emplyees. Mre than ever emplyees are willing t share their needs and wants with their emplyer. They als expect these needs and desires t be met, r at least t be cnsidered. That said, hw can yu give emplyees the training they desire and, at the same time, help yur rganizatin flurish? 1 Careers In Nnprfits (CNP) surveyed 427 candidates in Chicag and DC, wh either interviewed in ur ffices r have registered as candidates in ur nline database.

2 We will explre further in a bit, but first, let s cnsider the tpic f Talent Management. Jhns Hpkins University defines this fairly new cncept as, a set f integrated rganizatinal HR prcesses designed t attract, develp, mtivate, and retain prductive, engaged emplyees. While we wn t explre Talent Management in depth here, it is wrth a mentin, as training is a large fcus in running a successful talent management prgram. It can be used as a means t ultimately engage staff and reduce turnver. Gd training is key t retaining staff. And it s nt simply just a functin f the HR department training requires all hands n deck! Managers and leaders shuld be gd trainers, recgnize what training staff need (as well as be pen t the idea f asking staff what it is they want), and als knw what training and develpment they as leaders need. S hw can this wrk fr yu? Understanding and being able t effectively prvide the training needs f yur staff, is a surefire way t keep them happily engaged in their rles. This in turn will increase retentin. And dn t yu want t keep yur key staff fulfilled, grwing, and arund fr multiple years? Career Develpment: Staff at all levels want t knw that as they invest their time and energy int a psitin, they are develping their careers alng the way. While mtivatins may vary (mre respnsibility, title, salary, etc.), having a clear rad map t develp their career is key. In ur CNP Academy Wrkshp n Career Mapping, we educate emplyers and emplyees alike n hw t prgress n their desired career path. It acts as a GPS t help yu get yu t where yu want t g. Otherwise, yu can verlk the mst efficient way t g r get stuck in traffic jams alng the way. Offering Career Mapping (als knwn as Career Pathing) is an innvative training technique t help yur emplyees grw in a strategic way within yur rganizatin and beynd. By ffering this training, emplyers and emplyees can mre clearly cmmunicate abut hw an individual s career develpment gals can als serve an rganizatin s the emplyer benefits, t. By setting shrt and lng-term gals, yu can understand the steps necessary t achieve a cmmn gal in the end. If staff are left in the dark, wndering what s next, prductivity, engagement, and ultimately retentin, will all falter. We knw the cst f turnver is expensive, and it s a cst we as emplyers and ur dnrs can avid. Once emplyees and emplyers understand the directin that they are headed tgether, additinal training pprtunities can als be identified fr further career develpment. It s a wnderful way t make the mst f the time and resurces needed fr particular training, helping everyne stay n track, and achieve cmmn gals.

3 Leadership Develpment: Leadership develpment invlves many tiers and types f training. Frm ur survey, we fund that emplyees at all levels want mre leadership develpment training. As fr ur Executives, certificatins and Executive caching are imprtant areas f training emplyers can ffer. In tday s market, emplyers can remain cmpetitive by paying fr cntinued educatin and prfessinal certificatins. In turn, yu assist yur leaders in develping new skills, gaining mre credibility, and remaining aware f best practices. It s crucial fr Executive leadership t keep advancing and grwing themselves. If they dn t, hw can they cntinue t lead their staff t innvate and grw, as well? As leaders, we have t set the example, and this invlves cntinuing ur persnal develpment and learning. As fr mid-level staff, there is always pprtunity fr grwth. And even if they are already managing a team f peple, this training never ends. With new managers taking n mre respnsibility, they have t manage a team, but als lead them t greater heights, help them create and achieve career maps f their wn, and rally a team tgether as a means t hit gals. We knw frm ur last survey that staff want a manager wh takes the time t invest in their individual prfessinal grwth. Organizatins must invest in develping and educating managers s they can handle all that cmes alng with managing peple, and mst Finally, leadership skills can truly cme in handy at all levels within in an rganizatin. Our results shwed that learning hw t manage up is imprtant t the emplyees we surveyed. This is a skill everyne shuld have because ultimately, every emplyee is respnsible fr achieving a cmmn gal: helping their rganizatin succeed. 23% f emplyees want mre leadership develpment training, while anther 18% f emplyees want an additinal training in skills related t their jb. Jb-Related Skills: It may seem bvius, but jb-related skill trainings are crucial t emplyee success. As we interview candidates, year after year, ne f the mst cmmn areas where staff desire mre training in is technical skills. Think abut the databases, sftware, r ther technical skills that wuld be useful t yur staff and then cnsider the trainings yu can prvide based n that. Other cmmn trainings mentined by ur candidates, bth in interviews and in ur survey are public speaking, advance cmputer skills (design sftware, Excel), and scial media. In an everchanging wrld, it s hard t keep up with the latest technlgies and methds f cmmunicatin, but it s imprtant that we ensure staff feel fully trained in the prgrams and cmmunicatin styles prevalent in tday s wrkplace. Prgrams and plicies are als areas f training emplyees feel they culd use mre training in. It s imprtant that emplyers evaluate n-barding, as these areas are imprtant t the success f ur new hires. Unfrtunately, we fail ur staff when we d nt fully explain plicies and guidelines they are expected t fllw. Training them well n the frnt-end allws us t see mre success later.

4 Wrk-Life Balance and Persnal Develpment: Wrk-life balance can mean different things t different peple. With the majrity f emplyees desiring mre training n such a brad cncept, hw can yu ffer this training as an emplyer? The simplest, yet perhaps mst challenging methd is t be the example. Shw emplyees hw t leave wrk at wrk and maintain a healthy balance between persnal and prfessinal lives. In the digital age, we re mre cnnected than ever, but set the standards. Shw yur staff hw it can be dne! In ur Q2 White Paper ( It Starts with Yu: Best Practices fr Creating a Happily Engaged Staff ), ur candidates said the number ne way t keep them happily engaged at wrk was a manager wh invested time in energy in their prfessinal grwth. Mre than ever, we nt nly need managers wh lead by example, but wh can help staff create and implement strategies arund stress-management, cultivating resilience in the wrk place, and efficiently reslving any cnflict with ther team members, dnrs, r Bard Members. The better we can train ur staff in these areas and interpersnal skills, the better they becme at leaving wrk at wrk and understanding hw t deal with challenges at wrk. This ensures they have the energy they need t tackle prblems daily and perfrm their best. In ur CNP Academy Wrkshp that fcuses n resilience, we pint t key evidence that using fcused breathing techniques can help emplyees deal with everyday stresses and remain cherent and sharp thrughut their wrkday. By ffering smething as simple as this training, staff can be well-equipped t handle difficult mments. Anther helpful, but ften verlked training t ffer emplyees is hw t best manage their time. This can be the time they have in the ffice r even the vacatin time they take. As we knw, priritizing is key fr managing time efficiently. Make sure yur staff are trained n the mst efficient way t get wrk dne and that they knw what tasks are a pririty. Als, make sure staff knw key dates fr meetings, cnferences, and dnr events, s that they can plan vacatins accrdingly and at apprpriate times f the year. When yu can inspire team wrk thrugh simple training, it s a win-win. Offering nntraditinal trainings, such as stress management is anther way t cultivate a wrkplace that prmtes healthy wrk-life balance. Maybe yu have a subject-matter expert lead a training; r, if yu feel yu can be the example, train staff yurself! Yu culd even start a mnthly Stress Management grup, where staff share ideas, d yga, r read a bk n the subject. It desn t have t be expensive r invlve lengthy sessins When yu can inspire team wrk thrugh simple training, it s a win-win. At CNP, we believe in hiring the full persn bth prfessinally and persnally. When we have ffered trainings that help ur staff utside f the ffice, such as persnal wealth management and stress management, it s mutually beneficial. Staff can cme t wrk with mre peace f mind, manage their emtins in the mment, and be prepared fr whatever cmes their way.

5 S what s next? Here are a few things t keep in mind as yu cnsider what trainings yu shuld ffer internally: Talk t yur staff. Ask them where they wuld like mre training and understand why. Understand Career Mapping and hw yu can make it wrk fr yu and yur staff. We re here t help if and when the time is right. Knw when and what type f training is apprpriate fr staff. Creating a prgram based n psitin r tenure within an rganizatin can be a helpful way t assess when staff shuld receive certain training. Dn t frget that staff at all levels can benefit frm leadership training. Stress management training is key t keeping staff balanced bth persnally and prfessinally. In the end, we all benefit frm a harmny between the tw. Knw the varius learning styles f yur staff: fr grup trainings, ffer smething fr everyne; fr individual trainings, train in a way that will speak best t that emplyee s learning style. Remember that it starts with yu. Train yur managers, set the example fr leading a balance wrk-hme life, and empwer yurself t cntinue t grw and stretch. Use this infrmatin and helpful tips t cmplete missing parts f yur Talent Management strategy r t create a cmprehensive training prgram, and yu will be sure t help yur staff lead a fulfilling prfessinal life. In tday s wrld, ur jbs g beynd a paycheck. Emplyees want t feel they are being heard, cared fr, and develped in a way that helps them achieve their gals and we all want t enjy the prcess alng the way. As emplyers, we can help ur rganizatins flurish by meeting these training needs and shwing ur staff the path t achieving their career dreams! What s next? We will share insights n the Talent Management strategies that are mst imprtant t emplyees and hw yu can implement them within yur wn rganizatin. Stay tuned, stay strng, and keep an eye ut fr ur quarterly white papers.