Investing in training for your staff can show how much you appreciate your employees, by allowing them to develop outside of their day-to-day work. It will of course be beneficial to yourself as a principal even an Estate Manager or House Manager. You should see the benefits immediately if the correct training has been given.
The Benefits of Training New Staff
Training often increases retention within employees. Not only will staff learn new skills it will help them to be the best at their role. This leads to increased confidence and productivity.
It can be seen as a great return on an investment. In time they can progress to more senior roles and become mentors and role models for other staff members.
When hiring new employees many consider that as part of their package you mention annual training. It can attract top talent of those who appreciate that there are always new areas to learn and develop. There is an understanding of their motivation and commitment is valued.
It helps to keep staff motivated and engaged. It is always a good idea to invest in training for long term staff loyalty.
Training staff allows everyone to understand what is expected of them. They can work out their boundaries. It means there will be less need for interaction with each staff member if they can carry out their duties having been shown the right way from the start.
How to Work Out if Staff Need Training and Development
This requires some questions to be answered.
- Do they perform to the best of their ability
- Are there areas within their role that are constantly a challenge
- Do staff have lots of questions? If yes, are they answerable by more communication or do they need to be shown how to complete a task for example?
- Is there consistency with all staff?
What Training is Needed?
Define training objectives. Consider what is the intended outcome that learners will achieve when they have completed the training.
Conduct a report to ascertain where there is a gap in skills. This can be approached independently, then possibly heads of each department and finally with each person.
If you are a house manager then it’s always a good idea to take some time to help out in various areas of the house with new staff. This could be making beds, turning over laundry or washing up with the chef. This shows respect and a can do attitude and often is a way of seeing how things function or need improvement. This could be in the way of investing in training for your new staff.
Not all training needs to be costly. In house training should always be given when a new staff member joins. However as a principal this is not an option and time does not always permit this way. If you employ someone in a new role within the house then it can be hugely beneficial to have an expert come to the house and provide one-to-one training. This allows not only bespoke training to take place but allows for many unanswered questions to be addressed. It makes it easier for everyone’s schedules to be taken into account too as well as logistical issues.
Measure and Track Progress
Appraisal meetings are meetings that are commonly more formal than a regular meeting, they are set up at the beginning of employment for the future for example after 6 months or a year in order to review their performance.
It should be set out in a way that allows for an open discussion. Ensure that the focus is based on evidence and not from personal opinions, focusing on positivity and development.
There may be areas that you have not noticed where training is required but by having an appraisal meeting it may highlight areas of concern.
When you have chosen the right training for the staff and they have taken part then it shouldn’t end there. Be sure to have a chat with the staff to get their feedback on how they think the training went. Make notes on this for future training. After a period of time it should be evident that training has taken place and there is progress seen.
There is nearly always value in continued professional development and therefore to take the time to invest in training for your new staff.
Are you looking to source training for your staff or are you looking to sign up for a training course yourself? We have online and in-person training options available. Have you decided which training option would be best for your needs? If you are still unsure, our consultants are readily available to help you.Why not get in touch here to find out more.