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4 Steps To Make Employee Development Stick

4 Steps To Make Employee Development Stick
by Beth Miller

Improve the way you improve your employees by making a plan for training and development.

According to Training Magazine, 2015 training expenditures in the US were $70 billion. Small companies spent an average of $1105 per employee, which doesn’t include the time dedicated to training. This level of investment was over double the investment larger companies made in employee training. Yet while many companies understand the importance of developing talent, they too often fail to get a return on their investment. In a 2010 survey, McKinsey & Co. found that only 25 percent of respondents thought training improved employees’ performance. Before you commit financial resources and human capital to develop your leaders and workforce, ask yourself these questions.

1. Is the employee ready for training?

When I deliver my coaching workshops, I start with an exercise to get an understanding of my audiences’ level of engagement. I ask them to place a sticky note on a bulls-eye target; the closer to the center they place the note, the more interested they are in the workshop and the more ready they are to learn.

If you find yourself having to push an employee to be trained, that’s a red flag and a great topic of conversation to have with them in an upcoming 1-1 meeting. Make sure you ask questions and fully understand why they aren’t taking ownership. 

It's simple: Don’t waste your money on someone who isn’t interested in training.

Read full article on Entrepreneur.