Do you REALLY need to train your staff?

Whether you’ve been in your job for a while or if you’ve just started a new one (congratulations!) the ideal scenario is that you should always be learning. Not just the steep learning curve that comes with a new task or role but the knowledge that underpins what we do and helps us do it better and smarter.

Why is staff training so important?

One word can sum this up: valued.

Investing in a staff training program is an immediate benefit to your organisation. People will do things correctly the first time and there’s the consequence of reduced waste in your business. But more importantly, your staff will know that you’re interested in them, their growth, and their morale.

Let’s unpack some of the other benefits.

Keeping it uniform

All businesses, especially labs, want to deliver consistent results. This is much more likely with streamlined work processes but also when employees undertake the same training.

In-house training is particularly valuable when multiple staff are carrying out similar tasks and helps to deliver these consistent results. However, it’s also beneficial when delivering information based on Standards or corporate compliance. This ensures staff are all on the same page with the company’s approach.

Skills and knowledge

Choosing relevant training programs means improving the skills and knowledge of your employees to meet changes in your industry. As well as greater staff productivity and efficiency, focussed training programs will add to the profits of an organisation.

Training isn’t just learning about the technical processes of how to do the job. Training could also include work ethics, communication, and human relations. Why? Because it shows that a company is interested in more than just the bottom line.

Increased confidence

Undertaking training doesn’t just mean walking out of a room (or an on-line session) with a course booklet and papers clutched in your hand.

Of course, it should improve skills and knowledge people can take away and implement in their roles immediately.

But training should also prepare employees to move into higher roles or take on more responsibilities.

Increased training also means employees are more likely to be able to tackle any issues that arise in their role. And that confidence means they’ll be more likely to take calculated risks and find innovative solutions.

Although it makes sense to encourage those moving into higher roles, leadership skills training should be made available to all staff. This shows you have confidence in your people and want to promote them internally.

Reduced risks

Better risk management is brought up in many external audits and internal meetings. When your employees are trained, they’ll not only increase their efficiency and effectiveness, but they’ll be also able to make better choices, which is a great way to reduce risks.

Training presents reduced risk to materials, tools, and equipment and a reduction in accidents. Making good, safe, and economical use of resources will also reduce waste.

Trained staff = less supervision

Obviously, training staff doesn’t mean that supervision can be eliminated completely. And ‘learning by doing’ is the best way of embedding practices. However, pointing an employee in a direction and expecting good outcomes will happen by trial and error is a recipe for disaster.

Knowing that your staff have been through a structured, consistent, and systematic training program means that supervision can be significantly reduced.

Knowing their why

A good training program should also include the organisation’s goals. Employees should be exposed to the ethics, values, vision, and mission of an organisation. This demonstrates that the organisation understands its focus and direction.

Even more importantly, employees should be clear on their part in meeting the organisation’s goals. This feeling of being part of something ‘more’ will encourage staff members to do their best for the company and their clients.

Growth mindset

Complacency can be commonplace when an employee becomes comfortable in their role.

They could become disengaged and just go through the motions or even worse, experience burnout. Training allows them to shift focus and learn new ways of thinking or better ways to do their job.

The LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report explains that “to achieve true skills agility, organizations will also want to think about lighter-weight cultural shifts that open new paths for more people.” But realising this goal takes effort, which sadly dropped back in 2023. This means that training efforts need…….

Support from the top

While management may understand that employee training is important, this support is critical to ensuring the success of any training program and the organisation as a whole.

One way to encourage this is to ask the top management to share what they’re learning with staff. Introducing the concept of learning from the top down will have a positive flow-on effect and demonstrate to staff that this is a valuable time investment.

Accelerating the skills journey of staff is something that is also in the domain of management. Many leaders now recognize the value of large-scale upskilling and reskilling initiatives.

Keeping current

Staying on top of trends doesn’t happen by trolling through social media. Although your LinkedIn feed may be useful for identifying industry trends, up-to-date information can best be gained through training courses.

If courses include participants from other sectors of the industry, learning how other people carry out their jobs is incredibly valuable. In addition, gaining contacts within your industry but outside your organisation has long-term benefits.

It’s often reported that staff prefer training to pay increases because it’s the training which expands their prospects. This isn’t just for their current role but for future roles which brings us to…

Reduces staff turnover

Staff training can save an organisation thousands of dollars. Recruiting and training staff is an expensive business. By providing employees with training, it increases their sense of purpose and role growth. This not only makes them feel more motivated to support the goals of the business, but it’s also more likely to make them stay.

Training opportunities also promote a positive work culture and adds to job enrichment and loyalty.

How we can help

MAS Management Systems provides a range of training courses to support the needs of lab staff and the businesses that employ them.

We can look at your staff training requirements and tailor a solution that’s perfect for your people and your organisation.

Call Maree on 0411 540 709 or email info@masmanagementsystems.com.au and see how we can help your business be better and smarter.