If I had just 2 minutes or so to give someone an "elevator speech" regarding the "truth" about training it would sound something like this and don't worry It only lasts for approximately 90 seconds!
Eventhough you may be a person that does not believe that training is important, will start listening when you start talking about money. For some employers who think that training is hard to get employees engaged in, think it too complicated or even unnecessary I have news for you! Training is well worth the investment in the long run. Primarily because, according to the Internal Revenue Service Publication 970 states that:
"employees can deduct training costs if the workshops, seminars or course allow individuals to improve and develop their job related skills, especially if the employees require the training to remain in their roles" (IRS, 970).
So if you don't think that you can motivate your staff to participate in staff training, maybe a refund for their effort on their tax returns will help some. For those employers that don't see training as necessary, they should consider the fact that when they invest into their employees that they are also investing into the company. Training is the best way introduce the proper Customer Service standards that a company requires of their staff. Also, when companies are investing in training they are also tapping into an asset called Employee Engagement. Employee engagement is what keeps your employees motivated to stay with your company and retain capable employees.
But what if I'm self-employed? For the self employed workers there is also a benefit for you! The IRS allows you to deduct training costs as well. Self employed workers, such as freelance Instructional Designers may find it helpful to know that attending a Learning Solutions Conference can be an investment in their skill set as well as a tax deduction. You may also be able to deduct some transportation fees occurred when transporting for the training. You may find surprising and/or interesting that a flight for the trip to Las Vegas for the Learning Solutions Conference is deductible as well. So what's your excuse for not retaining training today?
With so many demands on employees, how can employers motivate staff beyond money? Adult learners need to be engaged with immediate results when it comes to learning. True training is learning. It is beyond repeating a simple "action" over and over again. Like Bloom's taxonomy having varying levels of thinking and interaction, so must true training. The top level being education, utilizing the knowledge in new ways.
ReplyDeleteBesides money, development can be a major motivator for employees who are looking to advance themselves in the future.
DeleteWhen I think about truth I think about the saying, perception is reality. A person's perception of training will be based on their experience. If that person has only ever experienced unnecessary, overly complicated, and boring training then that is what they will expect training to be. The truth about training is that bad training is worthless, but great training is absolutely indispensable. Outside of that their are many benefits, both tangible and intangible, but people will approach the training in a way that is consistent with their values.
ReplyDeleteTraining should be fun and the trainer motivated. Motivation is what makes training fun. The trainer should love doing what she does and this will make training fun and enjoyable
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