Training and development has many positive outcomes for the business and individuals. It can motivate people and reduce colleague turnover, it can help people feel valued and build their confidence. It can have a positive impact on their wellbeing and engagement.
For the business, the better your people are trained and the more engaged they are, the better they will perform. This then has a direct impact on how the business performs.
Every decision in a business is made by someone in the business. The quality of those decision will depend on how well people have been trained and their engagement. It seems a no-brainer to make sure people are well-trained.
Training and development does not have to be expensive. There are lots of methods and options that can be used.
Recent changes direct employers to pay for their colleague's time spent on Mandatory training provided by the Company. This training should take place during working hours, where possible, and shall constitute working time.
The first step is to identify what training is needed. This needs to relate back to the commercial needs of the business, i.e. what skills and knowledge are needed within the business. Once this is understood, you can identify what skills you already have and where the gaps are. This is generally done through a training needs analysis. Training can then be planned accordingly.
To monitor success, you can introduce performance management programmes or appraisals and set clear objectives for individuals.
Frequently asked questions
The European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022 (the “2022 Regulations”) became law on 16 December 2022. They transpose EU Directive 2019/1152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions in the European Union. These regulations provide a right to mandatory training without cost. Therefore, employers must be careful what training they look to recover cost for as if it is considered as mandatory it is covered in these regulations.
In general, in order to be able to recover training costs, you must have the contractual right to do so. This would generally mean including clauses in the contract of employment. In addition, you should get the employee's express written agreement to each training course that you may wish to make a deduction for should they leave, and this needs to be done before the training starts (you cannot do this retrospectively). Even if you reserve the right in a training deductions agreement, under the Payment of Wages Act to deduct monies at any point in employment including the final pay, the employee should still be in agreement with the deduction before you attempt take it from their pay. Employers are advised to have this agreement in writing. Please see the further guidance on training deductions.
Yes, it is essential that all new employees are provided with the rules, policies and procedures that they are required to work to. Health and Safety requirements must be covered off with the new employee. It is recommended that you have a set induction process that you can be sure that each employee receives the same basic information and that you can rely on this if required at a later date for performance or conduct issues.
In relation to H&S, depending on your industry you will have specific areas that you need to cover, manual handling will be mandatory but you may have many more to cover off. Since the COVID pandemic there is a responsibility on the employer to ensure that all employees are aware of the company training, rules and safety regulations, these are normally provided prior to the start date, but should be explained again in induction. A good induction follow up process will also help an employee settle in more quickly.
Appraisals are an opportunity to review an employee's performance, set objectives for the coming period, and review any training and development needs. They can also be an opportunity to communicate the Company goals and how the employee contributes to this, and discuss aspirations. Conducted properly, they should be motivational and forward-looking and can help and improve the overall performance and productivity of the business. You can find further information in our Appraisals guidance.
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