Identifying and deciding your business’ training needs

Implementing training regimes in the workplace can be a costly and time consuming exercise. At the same time, it is well-documented that training can improve and increase staff productivity, profits, motivation and customer satisfaction levels.

So how can a business owner identify which training needs exist in the workplace, and where do they go from there?

The first step – and in some ways, most crucial – step is to analyse the current skill sets held by employees and identify any operational performance lapses or gaps.

A thorough audit may undercover communication breakdowns, missing skills or a lack of overall leadership or direction.

Workplace training can take many forms, from in-house one-on-one coaching to mentoring, a push towards self-directed learning or the implementation of external programs to target specific improvement areas.

There is no right or wrong answer, merely a decision of what is best suited to your goals, employees, budget and time schedule.

If choosing to outsource your training needs, the Federal Government’s Australian Skills Quality Authority consumer checklist includes a list of points you should clarify before committing to an opportunity.

Key points include confirming that the organisation is a registered training provider, ascertaining which industry bodies or associations they are affiliated with and ensuring that the key outcomes are relevant to your goals and expectations.

Both State and Federal Governments offer significant incentives for organisations that implement training regimes.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to a needs and benefits basis- what is your workplace lacking and how can a structured training solution assist you improve in the area?