Creating a successful learning and development strategy

Learn more about why it is crucial to develop a comprehensive learning and development (L&D) strategy; the pros and cons of different types of staff training; and how to build, implement and evaluate a successful L&D plan, in this extensive guide.

Why is staff training important?

Having a well-trained, motivated workforce, who have the right skills to succeed and are aligned with your organisation’s strategic goals, is crucial for any business. The benefits of L&D for both employer and employee are wide-ranging, and include:

• Talent development
• Career progression
• Reduced skills gaps
• Improved employee performance
• Enhanced employee engagement and satisfaction
• Increased productivity
• Improved employee retention

When taking all this into account, it’s easy to see why training offers a good ROI for your business. Upskilling your employees means you can promote from within; investing in career progression means lower turnover; and an increase in engagement means improved productivity.

Employees themselves also need to feel they are being given opportunities to grow, learn and progress. Research by Totaljobs in 2018 revealed that 68% of UK employees changed jobs due to a lack of L&D opportunities, while nine in 10 wanted their employer to provide more training courses to enable them to gain new skills. These findings highlight the importance of offering employee training as a means of retaining existing talent.

According to the Social Mobility Commission 2019, the most common reason respondents gave for undertaking training was to improve skills in their current job, with only 22% doing so to prepare for a future role. Totaljobs research, in partnership with The Work Foundation, highlights the need to put skills development and training at the heart of business strategy, to aid economic recovery and provide people in the UK with access to more secure work and higher salaries.

It’s therefore important to bear in mind that training shouldn’t just be viewed as something that is offered when an employee first starts a role, or as a ‘refresher’. It can be a core part of an employee’s career progression, while helping your business to target skills gaps that might impact growth.

Types of training

There are many different types of staff training, and each one comes with their own benefits and drawbacks. Here, we look at some of the more well-known methods.

On-the-job training

This is a form of employee training that is delivered in the workplace, usually by more experienced colleagues, to enable staff to gain the skills and knowledge required to perform a specific role.

Advantages of on-the-job training

Some of the key benefits of on-the-job training are:

• It is undertaken internally, usually by a manager or a member of staff, as a form of career development
• It is cost-effective, as there are no external training costs and there is an element of self-study involved
• It delivers immediate benefits to the business and employees, as it focuses on the practical elements of the job and the needs of the workforce
• It saves time, as there is no requirement for an employee to spend time away from their desk to complete the training
• It is an effective way of learning, as employees can put what they’ve learnt into practise immediately and understand how it’s applied day-to-day
• Employees can see how the tasks work in the real world, as opposed to role playing in off-the-job training
• It can be tailored to the specific needs of the business
• It ties in with the 70-20-10 model of learning, which centres around the idea that 70% of learning comes from job-related experiences, 20% from interacting and working with colleagues, and 10% from formal learning

Disadvantages of on-the-job training

There are a few drawbacks to consider too, such as:

• It is only relevant to an employee’s existing role
• It usually only benefits one worker, as opposed to the whole team
• As other employees are involved in providing the training, productivity levels will be lower whilst learning
• It relies on individuals in the team transferring knowledge in the ‘correct way’, and not passing on bad habits or short cuts

Formal learning

Formal learning is an organised, structured form of learning, delivered away from the workplace, with clearly defined goals and objectives.

Courses

This kind of learning can be delivered as either offline (face-to-face) or online courses, which can be live or recorded. There are a range of methods to choose from, including webinars, podcasts, and learning management systems (if delivered online), while offline methods include tutorials, talks, seminars, or articles and books.

Apprenticeships also form part of this training, enabling employees to carry out their job while studying for a formal qualification, through a mix of on-the-job and off-the-job learning.

Classroom style

Face-to-face learning is usually carried out in a classroom setting with external instructors or lecturers. Training is carried out as a group, for a specific period of time. Interactive Simulation or role play is an interactive learning method, and a common technique used in training, to help learners put theory into practice, build confidence and develop problem-solving, communication and listening skills.

Mentors or coaches

Coaching and mentoring is an effective employee training method, enabling staff to develop the skills and knowledge required to carry out their role or achieve certain goals and objectives. One of the key benefits of coaching and mentoring is it provides one-to-one, personalised learning.

Advantages of off-the-job training

Some of the benefits of off-the-job training include:

• There are clear aims and a structured assessment
• There is a sense of accomplishment for the employee, which in turn can boost job satisfaction, increase motivation, and reduce staff turnover
• It gives employees a chance to earn a qualification
• Unlike on-the-job training, it helps to future-proof an employee’s career
• Employees are more likely to acknowledge the ‘bigger picture’ or broader strategy in the business
• Employees are likely to receive high-quality training as the trainer is often an external skilled expert

Disadvantages of off-the-job training

There are also some disadvantages to take into account, such as:

• External training providers can be costly, so organisations need a training budget
• There can be a drop in productivity while trainees are away from the workplace
• It can be difficult to transfer the learning to the workplace, for instance, what is delivered in the training session doesn’t always clearly translate to day-to-day roles and responsibilities
• It can sometimes be seen as a tick-box exercise
• The manager often has little involvement in the training, so doesn’t always follow up on what has been learned and ensure that it is demonstrated

Barriers to training

Despite the many benefits surrounding learning and development, organisations still face various obstacles that prevent their employees from engaging in training. Some of the more common barriers include:

Childcare

Employees with childcare responsibilities could face significant barriers to learning if they are not given support with childcare provision and costs, as well as flexible training options. In fact, Totaljobs and Work Foundation research found up to 1.9 million mid-career workers with dependent children aged under 16 might struggle to access training opportunities due to family or caring commitments.

Lack of flexibility

If training programmes are too rigid, for example, if they are only delivered out-of-hours, organisations risk less take up, so it’s crucial for employers to ensure training is accessible to all employees and fits around their busy schedules.

Lack of confidence

Some employees may either have a negative view of learning from past experiences, or organisations may fail to communicate the clear benefits of training for a person’s career. This can lead to a lack of confidence in L&D and prevent employees from investing their time and effort in further training opportunities.

Business investment

In challenging times, such as we are seeing now in the wake of Covid-19, L&D budgets risk being cut. According to a CIPD report, 40% of organisations cited limited budgets as one of the main barriers to the delivery of learning. However, there are free courses on offer, including government-funded programmes. More details on this can be found at the end of this guide.

Lack of learning time

If employers fail to ensure employees have time to learn, they risk L&D falling to the bottom of the priority list. It’s therefore essential to demonstrate to employees that their development is valued, and to allocate specific time for training.

Poor learning culture

Organisations that don’t promote learning in a supportive and engaging way risk cultivating a negative learning culture, which is a significant barrier to training. Employers must therefore nurture a positive learning environment, where training is supported and valued by managers and leaders.

Training strategy and planning

A defined, well-planned L&D strategy is key to meeting the training needs of your organisation. Here are some key factors to consider when developing a successful training strategy:

• Seek to understand the overall business strategy as this can help to assess training needs
• Identify what skills gaps need to be filled in order to achieve your business goals, and what path you need to follow to get there
• Prioritise your L&D budget
• Clearly communicate your strategy to all stakeholders
• Build solid relationships with stakeholders and suppliers
• Align training initiatives to the wider business strategy
• Ensure training outcomes can be clearly measured and tracked
• Evaluate the success of your L&D strategy over time – how will you define that success?
• Maximise training budgets – consider whether multiple teams need to undertake the training, or if one team can then pass the content on to others

Creating a training plan

When developing a training plan, it may be helpful to refer to the ADDIE model, which stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation. This acronym represents the five stages involved in designing a training programme, and aims to help organisations identify training needs, devise solutions and evaluate results.

• Analysis: Reflect on the current training environment; establish and define your learning objectives; target your learning group.
• Design: What learning solution needs to happen to satisfy the learning needs? Consider the following points:
  • Don’t always assume it is classroom-based training
  • Consider modular training within working hours so personal life or caring responsibilities don’t exclude some people
  • Decide what format to use, such as e-learning; classroom based; on-the-job learning; blogs; articles; or TED talks
  • Determine whether you will engage internal or external trainers, as well as whether the learning will be virtual or face-to-face
  • Will you need licences or certifications?
  • Will you opt for one-on-one or group training?
• Development: This stage involves turning ideas into action, by building the learning solution and testing its effectiveness.
• Implementation: This phase entails rolling the training out to staff and identifying how this will be done effectively. Clearly communicate the benefits of the training to staff – what will the training involve? How long will the training last? What will they gain from the course? Benefits could include a pay rise, promotion, qualification, or more autonomy.
• Evaluation: Assess whether learning objectives were met. Go beyond ‘happy sheets’ and examine how this will link to ROI. Ensure you:
  • Gather feedback from participants
  • Consider asking participants to present to the wider group to reiterate learnings
  • Carry out a robust evaluation
  • Make necessary revisions

Assessing the success of training

Measuring training effectiveness will help organisations to identify what worked well, what could be improved and whether learning goals and objectives were met. When assessing training programmes, ensure you:

• Link L&D to succession planning to help future-proof your talent
• Look at the data. For example, interview training can be evaluated by examining whether there is a decrease in the number of failed probations, or in the number of candidates making it to final interview. All measurements can then be linked to better hiring decisions
• Obtain manager buy-in before their employee attends the course
• Ask employees to present what they have learnt after the training. This will help to establish whether there have been improvements in knowledge, skills or behaviour
• Ask employees to outline what commitments they will make as a result of the training
• Set up one-to-ones to enable managers to discuss the results of training with employees
• Draw up a document that outlines knowledge, skills and behaviour changes as a result of the training

Training resources

There are many helpful resources available to employers to support staff training, including free online courses and employee training software designed to streamline the training process. Here are some examples.

Free courses and training for staff

• The Skills Toolkit from the National Careers Service
• Some courses on Totaljobs are free
• TED Talks
• Udemy
• Alison
• OpenLearn from the Open University
• Online tutorials through Business Gateway
• UK Learns by Pearson

Employee training software

• Learning management systems, such as TalentLMS, Docebo and LearnUpon
• E-learning providers, such as Looop, Brightwave and Walkgrove