In today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business landscape, employee development and training have become critical to retaining top talent and ensuring long-term organizational success.
Employers have numerous challenges as innovative technology shifts the way things are done. Shifting demographics, different workplace models, and candidates that may have some, but not all skill sets create situations where continued investment in employees is a high priority. A strong employee development and training program helps employees develop and refine their skill sets, close gaps in competencies, find and nurture skills, and promote growth from within. With these new workplace models consistently shifting, keeping a keen focus and staying tapped into one of the most precious resources of your organization is key.
Creating a talent pool that evolves with change helps enhance the levels of talent for future success. That means focusing on delivering the best experiences for employees from the hiring process through their rise in the ranks. One of the most effective ways to drive employee development and training initiatives is by using talent management solutions. These solutions help support organizations in planning, attracting, developing, engaging, rewarding, and retaining employees.
What Advantages and Benefits Do These Solutions Offer?
1. Identifying Skill Gaps and Training Needs
One of the primary benefits of using talent management solutions for employee development and training is that they enable organizations to identify skill gaps and training needs across the organization. Many companies conduct skills gap analysis, have conversations with managers, and meet with employees to gather insight and real-time data. By listening and leveraging this data and analytics, these solutions can help companies develop targeted training programs to address specific areas of need, stay aligned with strategic business objectives, and foster a strong learning culture.
2. Customized Learning Plans
Organizations are better enabled to develop customized learning plans based on individual employees and their job roles, skill levels, and career aspirations. This ensures that employees receive the training they need at a granular level to meet their unique professional development goals to achieve success in their current and future roles. This also makes it easier for learners to focus on the content they need to develop their skill set for the current role and build on the skills needed when preparing to, or while simultaneously moving up the ladder. Targeted training content should have an adequate balance that covers specific areas based on employee wants and company needs.
Customized learning and training also allow the company to provide subject matter taught by experts who are experienced, effective, and can engage employees at the highest levels. This reinforces the focus on company-based knowledge employees must know for regulatory purposes, specific skills needed to fulfill their roles, and safety. Formal, online, and situational learning delivery is very effective when well-planned and intentional.
3. Centralized Platform for Managing Learning and Development
Having a centralized platform that can effectively manage all aspects of employee learning and development is crucial. A good talent management solution identifies training needs, develops customized learning plans, tracks progress throughout the process, and evaluates the impact of current training initiatives. With these processes centralized, organizations can take a more strategic and proactive approach to employee development and training rather than a reactionary one.
4. Self-Service Learning Portals
Everyone has their own learning preferences. Some employees learn faster, while others take a little longer to grasp the material. Self-service learning portals empower and enable employees to take ownership of their training and development. These portals provide the autonomy to access a wide range of training materials and resources at their own pace with flexibility in scheduling while assisting HR in tracking employee training requirements and completion, and in identifying other areas of training employees may excel in based on results and skill set.
This also makes it very easy to develop additional training plans to complete prior to applying for lateral or higher positions. Managers can view progress, certifications, and evaluate potential candidates. By doing this, employee engagement and satisfaction are improved, employees feel the company’s commitment to furthering their individual career goals, and expectations are transparent at all levels.
5. Aligns Employee Development and Training with Business Goals
Organizations can better align their employee development and training initiatives with the company’s overall business goals and objectives. Why is this important? It’s important to have everyone on the same page, working toward the same goal. As employees learn and develop their career paths, their growth should be a direct contribution to the success of the organization. By tracking training metrics and evaluating the impact of training initiatives, companies can identify where their training programs are successful, and which ones need additional components. The goal is to deliver measurable results where everyone plays an integral role in moving the needle.
Talent management solutions are powerful tools for driving employee development and training initiatives. When used effectively, open communication and a culture where everyone works together to help the company succeed become a shared vision to drive engagement, growth, and revenue. Our team of trusted experts works with businesses of all sizes to provide effective employee development and training solutions. If you're interested in learning more, contact one of our associates today.
