How to design an effective training program

Investing in training is crucial for any employer to ensure their staff are engaged, progressing and continuing to grow their skills.

The current economic landscape is really uncertain on many fronts, according to Karlie Cremin, director, DLPA.

The political pressures are extreme, the financial markets are under pressure and the Australian economy is showing signs of contracting, Cremin told HRD.

This is result is that many organisations are much more conservative on their spends.

“As HR is often viewed solely as a cost centre - and not a value add - it is often one of the first departments to have funding removed,” said Cremin.

In order to obtain, justify and validate the need to spend money on training and development, there must be a clear link between the strategy and the training, and an economic impact.

“Where HR professionals can make the case for training on the basis of a strategic objectives, and link the training to increased performance outcomes we see them gain access to much higher budgets, and also have much greater buy-in from senior management.”

So what advice does Cremin have for HR professionals to design and implement a training and development program which creates higher performing organisations, and provides economic return?

• HR is a value adding function and department. The key is articulating that value in a way other departments will understand. Strategy and economics are the easiest access point for this. Always have a clear business case for HR spend so people understand the strategic relevance, and the intended return on investment.
• We tend to spend so much time on performance management, versus creating high performance. Training can and should be used in a co-ordinated way to increase the performance of the team as a whole, rather than individually to manage one person’s performance issues or skills gaps.
• The temptation in times of downturn is to reduce training expenditure. However, this is very dangerous as it means that your workforce becomes stagnant, and you are losing your competitive advantage at the time you need it most. Don't cut expenditure in downturn - be more creative and strategic in how you utilise it, and what return you need from it.

Karlie Cremin, director, DLPA, will be featuring on an HRD webinar on Strategic training and development for high performance on Wednesday 25 September at 12:30pm. To register, click here.