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Think of employee training as an investment
The most important and valuable resource any company possesses is its employees, thus, investing in employee training and retraining is money well spent. Employees change; therefore, training needs to be updated to include those new to the position. Moreover, requirements and certification standards change too. New training takes these changes into account for both new and long-standing employees.
Even if new employees or new regulations are not an issue, retraining and refreshing existing employee safety measures is important to prevent accidents, injuries, illnesses, deaths and production loss due to employee injury.
Many industries have special training needs due to the nature of their work requirements. The construction industry is a good example. Some employees handle heavy moving equipment, which necessitates safety measures to avoid injuries and damaged equipment. Construction workers must also work from heights. This workplace environment requires the use of special safety equipment and safety measures.
Construction companies often employ sub-contract workers. This means the employer must ensure that these workers know the safety measures and are using the correct equipment to operate safely in the workplace. These contract workers may not be familiar with the dangers on a construction site. Making sure these workers are trained and knowledgeable about safety in the workplace is no easy task. A temporary work contract may be quite short. Nevertheless, they need to be trained in safe workplace conditions and procedures.
When multiple worksites and workers are coming and going at different times, it compounds the problem of employee safety and training. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure all those on the worksite are properly trained.
One way to ensure all workers have been trained and their safety certification is current is to have someone responsible for doing this as part of his or her company responsibilities.
Presently, there is a growing trend in online training and certification. Paying for online training and health and safety orientation is often less expensive than classroom style training. Business owners who go this route, however, must be sure that online trainers are qualified and are teaching the health and safety knowledge and strategies required to fulfill HSE and specific industry requirements. Online training is so popular because it is economical and fits into flexible work schedules. Moreover, individuals taking the certification can proceed at their own pace.
In addition to formal certification completed by an employee to prove his/her understanding of health and safety measures, there are other ways a company can make sure employees know their employer puts a high premium on health and safety.
When potential employees learn that a company places a high premium on keeping its employees safe and well through certification, consultation, special safety equipment, and vigilance in the workplace, they look more favourably upon the company as a good place to work. A recent survey indicates that 40% of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year. They cite the lack of skills training and development as the principal reason for moving on.
It is vital that the employer has assurance that his/her work force is qualified and knowledgeable about health and safety. Failure to ensure this can have disastrous results. The worker himself may be injured or killed as a result of unsafe working procedures. He/she may cause other employees to be injured or killed because he did not know how to operate his task or equipment in a safe manner. Work hours can be lost, expensive equipment can get damaged or destroyed, and the company and supervisors can be subject to imprisonment and/or heavy fines. Insurance rates can also skyrocket and the company may suffer financial hardships due to its poor public image over health and safety incidents.
Every company needs a way to check on its employee competence. The supervisor also needs to know that employees are doing their jobs safely and that the workplace is safe. Employers and supervisors need a way to check on health and safety qualifications and operations immediately. A good way to do this is to use a Training Matrix which lists the core skills and includes each employee's current knowledge and competence for each of the skills.
Other benefits of training
Despite the initial monetary costs, staff training pays back your investment. Here are just some of the reasons to take on development initiatives:
- Training helps your business run better. Trained employees will be better equipped to do their job safely and well
- Training is a recruiting tool. Today's young workers want more than a paycheque. They are geared toward seeking employment that allows them to learn new skills. You are more likely to attract and keep good employees if you can offer development opportunities.
- Training promotes job satisfaction. Nurturing employees to develop more rounded skill sets will help them contribute to the company. The more engaged and involved they are in working for your success, the better your rewards.
- Training is a retention tool, instilling loyalty and commitment from good workers. Staff looking for the next challenge will be more likely to stay if you offer ways for them to learn and grow while at your company. Don't give them a reason to move on by letting them stagnate once they've mastered initial tasks.
- Training adds flexibility and efficiency. You can cross-train employees to be capable in more than one aspect of the business. Cross-training also fosters team spirit, as employees appreciate the challenges faced by co-workers.
- Training is essential for knowledge transfer. It's very important to share knowledge among your staff. If only one person has special skills, you'll have a tough time recouping their knowledge if they suddenly leave the company. Spread knowledge around — it's like diversifying your investments.
Learning and upgrading employee skills makes business sense. It starts from day one, and becomes successive as your employees grow. Granted, it may take some time to see a return on your investment, but the long-term gains associated with employee training make a difference. The short-term expense of a training program ensures you keep qualified and productive workers who will help your company succeed. That’s an investment that turns into profit.
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