Do you know of a free too to...? When was the last time you asked the question "Do you know of a free tool ...?" Was this your first attempt at solving the problem or last resort? Are free tools really free or is the cost hidden? Do we really understand all the costs involved?Many of our readers know that we are active in some of the HR and learning & Development online communities. Sometimes questions asked spark ideas and thoughts to share. This piece is one of them.The article … [Read more...] about Chase to the bottom – or do you know of a free tool to…? #hrblog
Mental Health, HR and Training #HRBlog
Mental health issues impact on 1 in 4 adults. If you are not personally affected, then the chances are people around you are. Some years ago I had an interesting experience on a training course. I have mentioned this to a few people in the past but never written publicly before. Talking therapies in the workplace are on the rise. They certainly have their place, but are people aware of the dangers as well as the opportunities.Some of my readers know that I have been a long term … [Read more...] about Mental Health, HR and Training #HRBlog
Have your team leaders lost their grip? Time to train managers #hrblog
Have your team leaders lost their grip?It's a straight forward question: Have your team leaders lost their grip?Managers, most of us have one. They are not always called managers of course. Sometimes they are called supervisors, team leaders, deputy manager, leader, VP, Boss. Whatever we call them or their official job title, they are our “line manager”.We rely on them for guidance in our jobs. For support when things are not going well. For praise when things go well. For many … [Read more...] about Have your team leaders lost their grip? Time to train managers #hrblog
HR trends survey 2016 in just one word #hrblog #cipd #oneword
Introduction to One Word HR Trends SurveyWhat is the One word HR trends survey 2016? Early in 2015 we ran a simple survey among HR professionals. They were given 10 topics and asked for one word which represented there understanding or meaning for that word or phrase. This produced some interesting results. So twelve months on I thought we could repeat the process. The results are fascinating. In the first survey we had just over 500 responses, in this later version we had just under 400 … [Read more...] about HR trends survey 2016 in just one word #hrblog #cipd #oneword
So Much Training, So Little to Show for It
So much training, so little to show for it in our organizations. Why is this often the case?Back in 2012 the Wall Street Journal published a piece looking at this. They concluded that businesses needed to do:Better training needs analysis (TNA) - not just what but who Design - what where how follow up - testing to see if people have learnt. Are they applying the new ways?Research from the The American Society for Training and Development claimed that only 10% of learning goes … [Read more...] about So Much Training, So Little to Show for It
Training is like PPE – A lack of budget does not mean no training
We have all been there at one time or another. Budgets are tighter than expected. Often external spend is reduced to a minimum.A lack of budget should not mean training stops. It means we need to start thinking differently. Its innovation time! Attending courses are not the only way to train and develop people. Sometimes we need to focus on the end result, the learning needed and not the journey – how that knowledge of skill should be achieved.When as part of a Personal Development … [Read more...] about Training is like PPE – A lack of budget does not mean no training
eLearning – a tick box exercise that fails at ticking boxes? #HRBlog
Increasingly as firms look to “do more with less”. Training such as health & safety and compliance training is delivered using eLearning platforms.In the past much of this training was Click next>>Click next>>Click next>>test. You have passed/failed.But thankfully things have moved on. If only a little at times. There are challenges Whilst we are more than 15 years after the turn of the millennium, many internal networks and their capacity set the limits for what … [Read more...] about eLearning – a tick box exercise that fails at ticking boxes? #HRBlog
Not another training course – Coping with famine to feast of learning in business
From time to time it seems like we go from famine to feast. We have no training for months, then like a buss many come along at once!Many of us value learning new skills and knowledge. Indeed this is why quiz shows are so popular on TV. It is also why pub quiz nights are so popular at our local pubs and clubs. It is a mix of the social and the mental stimulation.We like to learn stuff. Some of us prefer to learn things around our specialisms. Others like to learn anything that broadens … [Read more...] about Not another training course – Coping with famine to feast of learning in business
State of Employee Training 2015 according to #Intercall #infographic
Today I came across this interesting summary of the State of Employee Training 2015. It has been published by Intercall.In their article State of Employee Training 2015 they include the data and graphic shown below.We all know that when done well, training can add a lot of value both to organisations as well as the growth and performance potential of individuals. But with increasing budget and time challenges, training is often the first casualty. How is the state of training relevant … [Read more...] about State of Employee Training 2015 according to #Intercall #infographic
Repetition – the neglected L&D tool with declining attention spans
Are our attentions spans declining? To learn new things, do we need to practice for 1000s of hours, or can we just learn in bite sized pieces? Are our attention spans declining or reducing with social media and the connected world? Can we really learn all we need in just a fw short minutes, or are we tied to investing time and resources to developing people?Lets start with a popular set of beliefs which have become popular in recent years. The 10,000 hour rule - of practice to create … [Read more...] about Repetition – the neglected L&D tool with declining attention spans
What is the Difference between Training and Development #HRBlog
So what is the difference between training and development? Does it really matter?It matters because we need to be able to identify activity. We often hear of employees never having been trained in a skill or process. But is this really true? We need to underatand what training is and is not, to be able to educate our workforce, and develop our organizations. Understanding the difference between training and development So that we can perform a comparison between training and development … [Read more...] about What is the Difference between Training and Development #HRBlog
People Development Strategy – A business led approach to training and developing people
Do you have an effective people development strategy? An effective people development strategy is key for success and being able to react to changing business conditions. Training (or People Development) is a strange thing.Many firms think they are training their people. Unfortunatly many of their people do not think they get enough training. It’s a catch 22! “What’s worse than training your workers and losing them? Not training them and keeping them.” – Zig Ziglar There are some common … [Read more...] about People Development Strategy – A business led approach to training and developing people
Why training fails – time for a new approach?
Time for a new approach to learning in business?Over the years I have looked at a number of books, blogs and articles and in various LinkedIn groups to do with training and developing people. Many of these are about management, leadership and developing people for the future.There seems to be a common theme.... new ways of doing things. A reinforcement of the message that the old ways did not get what you wanted. Here is a new, improved and better way. A new and shiny approach if you … [Read more...] about Why training fails – time for a new approach?
Recruiting and engaging volunteers what is your strategy
Recruiting and engaging volunteers is one thing, but how do you retain them once they are through the door and completed basic training? Having a wide diversity of volunteers brings a community and richness that adds value beyond words.For organisations that rely on volunteers, recruiting and engaging those volunteers becomes a key performance indicator for that 'business'. I say business because any organisation set up to provide services must be solvent, and that means making a profit or … [Read more...] about Recruiting and engaging volunteers what is your strategy
Is training the solution? Performance Analysis Quadrant (PAQ) tool
When the performance of an individual or team is being questioned, often the first solution tried is training. But is this right? Does the approach of "train them to get better performance" hold up? Or has it been this approach which has caused the value of training to diminish in the eyes of many in business?One tool which can help us identify the appropriate solution is known as the Performance Analysis Quadrant. This should be a standard tool in the toolbox of every organizational … [Read more...] about Is training the solution? Performance Analysis Quadrant (PAQ) tool
Does your training really make an ethical difference?
Training takes a large slice of of most companies compliance budgets, anything from a quarter to a half. So is it effective? [1]Measuring training effectiveness remains a weakness of many L&D programmes and compliance and ethical training seems no different. However, the escalating cost of compliance work is worrying senior managers. Many see the present situation as a black hole into which resources keep being relentless absorbed.To make more sense of training for compliance it is … [Read more...] about Does your training really make an ethical difference?
Why front line customer service training fails to deliver
Cost effective customer service training Customer service training provision is often preceded by a lot of change in organizations. It’s a common situation. You have introduced a new IT system to streamline your operations. You have restructured to be as cost efficient as possible. You have implemented LEAN or other process based efficiency analysis strategies. Next step... customer service training.Many of us have seen the reduction of structured and strategic training decline over the … [Read more...] about Why front line customer service training fails to deliver
Very good to excellent – or why most customer service training fails
When it comes to customer service training, or anyone else for that matter, many people in operations and HR make a fatal mistake. They believe people “need fixing”. Over the last 10 years many organisations have reduced the level of structured training they provide. This drop in activity coincided for the majority with the financial crisis of 2007–08. Businesses looked at their costs, and due to the way much customer service training was delivered at the time and justified, it was an easy … [Read more...] about Very good to excellent – or why most customer service training fails
Training – #oneword #HR #CIPD
In 2015 100s of HR professionals were asked a simple question in a survey… in one word describe…TRAININGParticipants were invited from the CIPD Members LinkedIn group, the CIPD communities, and the CIPD Facebook group. 613 participated. Of those, over 70% have been in HR for more than 11 years.Not all questions were mandatory The demographics for this were: Processing of one word data. During data analysis, spellings were corrected, and capitalisation resolved. No words … [Read more...] about Training – #oneword #HR #CIPD
Training – the sustainable & cost effective enabling element for business success
Did you know…facts about training?The cost of training is expensive – but the cost of gaining a new customer is a lot more! A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10% – Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murphy A customer is 4 times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service-related than price- or product-related – Bain & Company. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%. The … [Read more...] about Training – the sustainable & cost effective enabling element for business success
