Training is important to workers and organizations alike. In fact, in a Workforce Learning Report from LinkedIn, 94% of employees said they would stay at a company longer if the company invested in employee learning.
Whether frontline workers in healthcare, heavy equipment operators on a job site, or back office support, everyone needs training to learn skills. Training is an investment, not an expense. What happens when organizations don’t offer training? Consider the consequences.
Safety. Every organization and industry has to consider safety. Even something as basic as fire or weather escape plans need to be communicated. Consider procedures for using medical or surgical devices and tools, which impact patient care. Safety on a job site—like knowing how to operate a machine the size of a building without running over someone. Administering the right amount of chemicals to fields. All of these examples and more take training and mindful safety steps. Untrained or under-trained employees are always more at risk for injury and causing injury to others, because they lack the proper skills to use equipment safely. Without proper knowledge critical mistakes—even fatalities—can happen, putting everyone at risk.
Turnover. When employees are unhappy it leads to high turnover. Now the organization not only has to invest in new hire but could also be losing the knowledge of long-term workers.
Production. If an employee does not understand how to perform the job, it leads to low productivity. Unskilled or under-skilled workers look for help and interrupt processes. When more experienced workers are correcting these employees’ mistakes it leads to more low productivity.
Morale. Disengaged workers often have low morale. They also can cause low productivity. Often the root is not a bad attitude, but frustration in not understanding the job assignment or tasks.
Customers. Loss of customers is a big deal in today’s competitive marketplace. How many times have you needed good customer service and you didn’t get it? If only you had been able to talk to a knowledgeable and skilled customer service representative, that company might still have your business. Or consider having to replace defective products or cover warranty costs for customers. It can cost up to five times more to acquire a new customer than retaining the current customer. A well-trained customer service representative can save you from losing customers, promote your business through good service and build your brand reputation.
Competitive advantage. A company has a competitive advantage because of their workforce. Whether that is producing a product or fulfilling a service, the knowledge and skills of the internal workforce can set a company apart from its competition.
Any one of these consequences can cost an organization’s bottom line. How to change the outlook? Invest in employee training. The type of training, and how the training is delivered, can make a difference, too. All training is not created equally. But it could be. High performers are often asked to train fellow employees but are taken away from production lines, patient care, or other important jobs to do so. Simulations take the burden off spreading employees too thin; or taking employees out of production during training. Good simulations are developed with subject-matter experts.
Simulation training can take place anytime, anyplace, and ensures each employee is trained the same way. Any piece of equipment or process can become simulation training. Start developing with an experienced team. Contact us today to find out more about simulation training.
Note: See part two: “How Employee Training & Develop Can Benefit Your Organization” (6/11/20) to find out the upside of training and how to get started.
