Companies Urged To Train employees as a way to Increase Productivity

All over the world experts have always argued that the greatest asset a company possess is its employees. According to International Labour Organization report of 2016,  those companies that engaged in employee development always realize an increase in performance and their profits double compared to those that don’t.

The report further reveals that “Investing in employees’ professional development is vital for team retention to the point that 94 per cent of employees would always stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.

The report also reveals that companies always incur huge losses when replacing talent more than retaining the employees they originally employed.”

A report from Gallup revealed that 38 per cent of the US workforce is powered by millennial, and in 2025 it is estimated to grow to 75 per cent.

Faith Kimani, is a consultant with Competitive Dynamics International-a global company that offers continuous improvement solutions to various firms across the world.

“Today we live in an ever-changing world where time is money and budgets are tight. People no longer choose a company to work for over their entire careers. Companies are always looking for new employees and seeking competitive advantages over their competitors.

One of the most overlooked advantages of most companies is employee engagement, training and development. When a company makes sure its employees are up to date on the latest technical information or the latest operational data, employees tend to increase their productivity and are more likely to maximize their value.

At our firm we have a Program known as Mission Directed Work Teams which empowers the workers to take ownership of their work and helps them to drive performance through visual Management Tools, “says Ms. Kimani.

According to Ms. Kimani, employee training and development is a term often used interchangeably, across sectors, and encompasses various employee learning practices. More specifically, training involves programmes which enable employees to learn precise skills or knowledge to improve performance.

Ms. Kimani adds that “Development programmes involve a more expansive employee growth plan, for future performance rather than immediate career role improvement. We have a system focused on Continuous Improvement through visual management and lays a lot of emphasis on Teamwork and Problem-Solving at the Front-line. It’s a very effective way of running your business as it engages the heart and mind of every team member enabling them to run the business as if it were their own. Since performance is being visually managed everyone strives to make sure their team’s performance is within or above target. We have seen tangible results translating into the bottom line and complete turnarounds.”

Gallup data reveal that as the business landscape becomes increasingly competitive, improving your team’s performance is imperative within evolving markets. Employee development and training is no longer an additional perk reserved for the C-suite, it’s essential for the growth of any business and the workforce that propels it.

“Recognizing new skills and ways of learning will help a company evolve and innovate for the future. The other thing is the need to merge contemporary technological platforms with creative learning methods to ensure that teams learn dynamically, through a future-oriented approach.”

She notes that with the growing economies, stable political environment and an open East African Market, the future looks brighter for most companies, however, they should tap into employees training for effective results and increased engagement.