Highlighting the benefits of good quality training is a popular topic within The Training Platform blog. Regular readers will know that emphasis is placed on the value of developing knowledge and skills from both the individual’s and the employer’s perspectives.
However, what’s not often discussed is the potentially adverse effects of ‘getting training wrong’. Unfortunately, all of the benefits good quality training brings can be swiftly undone by poor training.
So what are the common errors made in relation to commissioning and delivering training? What are the negative impacts of poor training, and how can you avoid ‘getting training wrong’?
How training goes wrong
Commissioning and developing training can be complex in process and precedure, and there are a number of common pitfalls.
There are some skills such as learning to use a particular piece of equipment or software where training is essential to ensure that the task is completed correctly, efficiently and/or safely.
Training can be seen as a quick fix if there’s a problem. Although we are strong advocates of training, we would caution that the wrong approach to training might not fix the problem. For example, it may be tempting to respond to the poor performance of a security team by training all of the security officers. If, however, you subsequently find that the inefficiency in the team is focused on the team supervisor then the training is unlikely to have dealt with the problem. Instead, it would have been more useful to train the supervisor.
Different people have different training needs. There’s no benefit in making someone attend a course when they already have the necessary skills and these skills are up-to-date. Similarly, there’s no need to train people in an area which isn’t relevant to their role.
This results in learners either refusing to attend necessary training or arriving at that training with a negative attitude (thus limiting the potential value of the training per se). It’s important that learners buy into the learning process. If they’re not motivated to attend training sessions then they’re less likely to realise the full impact of that training.
For example, opting for e-learning when face-to-face training might be more appropriate for the topic and/or the learners involved.
Often, training is developed and delivered by people who have been successful in their field and then turn to training. However, a skilled security professional doesn’t necessarily equate to a skilled trainer. It’s important the trainer has the right skills to be able to communicate their knowledge effectively to learners.
It’s tempting to go for the least expensive option, particularly when budgets are under pressure. However, it would be more cost-effective to invest in one really good quality course and a number of poor quality courses.
While we want learners to focus on getting the most out of training sessions, the training will be of limited benefit if they forget all the good practice when they return to their working environment. Failing to link training to tasking in the workplace limits the long term benefits of training. It’s also important that learners are given the opportunity and time to experiment with new approaches once they return to their role.
Just because someone has completed a course at one time, this doesn’t mean that they’re able to do the task effectively forever more. It’s important that people attend refresher courses to ensure their knowledge and skills stay up-to-date.
Assessing the impact of poor quality training
As we’ve discussed in a previous blog for The Training Platform series, training budgets are often one of the first to be cut during an economic downturn. The effects of reducing the training budget might not be evident on an immediate basis, but cracks will show over time and the business will suffer.
Organisations which do not invest in training are characterised by poor employee performance, reduced service and product quality, low morale and poor employee retention rates.
Negative impacts are not just associated with lack of training but also poor quality training. Poorly conceived training rarely leads to positive long term behavioural change. At best, poor training may mean low productivity. However, at worst, it can lead to much greater problems.
For example, poor management training can result in inconsistent management which will lead to dissent within the team if employees believe some members of the team are receiving preferential treatment.
Getting training right for you
We have discussed how to get the most out of training in a previous blog, and many of the tips within apply here. These include:
Preparation for the training should start at the earliest opportunity
It’s also important to:
Key points to be remembered
The key is to remember there’s no point in training for training’s sake. Training will not fulfil your expectations if it’s poorly conceived. The focus should be placed on quality over quantity and time taken to ensure the right people are placed on the right courses.
Ensuring that the course is fit for purpose with training objectives that are clearly linked to tasking in the workplace is vitally important. Selecting the most appropriate people to attend and getting them to buy into the training process are crucial to the success of any training programme.
Ken Livingstone (managing director) and Amy Burrell (training consultant) are with Perpetuity Training
Further information about… Perpetuity Training
Perpetuity Training offers a range of short courses, including Level 4 professional awards in Managing Security Surveys and Security Management.
All of the company’s short courses can be adapted to meet the needs of individual businesses. Bespoke training services are also available.
Perpetuity Training is proud to be associated with The Security Institute and to be the provider of the Institute’s two membership qualifications: the Certificate in Security Management (Level 3 Advanced Certificate) and the Diploma in Security Management (Level 5 Professional Diploma).
For more details telephone 0116-222 5550 or e-mail: [email protected]
