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Linking training to organisational goals
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Linking training to organisational goals

on 20 January 2023

​The Learning Age

Training in today’s learning age has transformed itself from an educational and purely academic dimension to a more inclusive lifelong learning experience. As we grow in our careers and develop our skills and knowledge, we are enriching not only ourselves, but also everyone that we come into contact with.

This transformational experience helps each and every person to learn valuable lessons that are absorbed into our habits, attitudes and beliefs, which are in turn transformed into our actions and help us not only to define our personal objectives, but also what alternatives we consider to achieve these. Hence training not only shapes what we know, but more importantly also shapes who we are.

This behavioural transformation is more so evident in today’s learning age, where lessons are learnt not only through traditional means, but right from childbirth we are continuously exposed to media channels that shape our beliefs, attitudes and learning habits.  With the constant drive for mobility, distance learning and e-learning courses have now become ordinary, and are well and truly the landscape of the present and future scenarios for learning.

Organisational Training as an Investment

As training is necessarily an organisational investment, the provision of opportunities for development to employees has to result in a benefit or return that the organisation will obtain from such investment. Training is thus necessary to help an organisation to shape and change employees’ expected behaviour, beliefs, attitudes and capabilities, which are eventually manifested in employees’ performance. Thus, the link between attaining organisational goals and the training planned and delivered becomes clearer as training delivery changes behaviour and performance, hence attaining individual, departmental and subsequently organisational goals.

With organisations striving to improve on efficiency, training organisation and delivery is now wide-reaching, with significant opportunities for continuous personal development readily available.  This does not only stem from the many e-learning opportunities and webinars organised around the globe and which can be tapped into, repeatedly as many times as necessary, but also from the fact that knowledge is freely available to all on a 24×7 basis through social, interactive and informative media.

All this knowledge readily available provides employees with a wealth of information at everyone’s fingertips, being able to make use of smart devices readily connected to the global web.  This availability of knowledge also stimulates even further those learners who take the initiative and seek to improve themselves not because they have to, but because they have the internal motivation or desire to develop themselves further. This internal motivation is the same that drives employees to strive for achieving better performance results in their daily responsibilities, and this is what leads to the development of high performing employees. 

Like all other investments, the investment made in training needs to translate into a higher return for the organisation – yet it is in the best interests of an organisation to give its’ employees all possible opportunities to take advantage of learning opportunities that become available.

Challenges and Solutions in Linking Training to Organizational Goals

In the endeavor to align training initiatives with business objectives, organizations often encounter a set of unique challenges; understanding these hurdles and their respective solutions is critical to leveraging training as a tool for achieving strategic goals.

Identification of Common Challenges in Aligning Training with Goals

Linking training to organizational goals can be an intricate process filled with obstacles. One prevalent challenge is the lack of clarity or understanding of organizational goals. This can occur if goals are not communicated effectively throughout the organization or if they are not specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Without clear goals, designing training that supports them becomes a complex task.

Another obstacle lies in identifying the right skills and knowledge gaps that the training needs to address. Without a comprehensive needs assessment, the training might not hit the target, resulting in wasted resources and potential disillusionment among employees.

Furthermore, even well-designed training programs can fall short if they're not implemented effectively. Logistical issues, inadequate resources, lack of management support, or a disengaged workforce can all hinder the successful execution of a training program.

Practical Solutions to Overcome these Challenges

Overcoming these challenges requires a strategic, proactive approach. For starters, HR professionals must ensure that organizational goals are SMART and well communicated across the organization. Collaborating with management and employees to formulate these goals can foster a shared understanding and commitment, thereby setting a clear direction for the training initiatives.

To pinpoint relevant skills and knowledge gaps, a comprehensive needs assessment is critical. This involves a systematic process of understanding the "as is" and "to be" states of employee skills and knowledge. Data for this process can be gathered through methods such as performance reviews, employee surveys, or direct feedback from managers.

For successful implementation of training, securing adequate resources is essential. This includes not just financial resources but also time, technology, and human resources. It's also crucial to garner management support, as this sets the tone for the organization's commitment to training. Initiating open communication channels, offering training that is relevant and engaging, and recognizing the efforts of participants can help cultivate an enthusiastic learning culture.

By addressing these challenges head-on, HR professionals can significantly enhance the alignment between training programs and organizational goals, leading to more impactful training and ultimately, the achievement of the strategic objectives.

The Strategic Role of HR in Designing, Implementing, and Assessing Training

Human Resources plays a crucial role in linking training to organizational goals. This begins with the design phase, where HR needs to ensure the content of the training program is both relevant to the employees' roles and aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization. HR professionals should collaborate closely with line managers to understand the specific skills and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for employees to effectively contribute to the achievement of organizational goals.

The role of HR doesn't end at the design phase; they are also responsible for the effective implementation of the training program. HR professionals must manage logistics, create an engaging environment, and encourage employee participation. This often involves managing resources, selecting the right trainers, choosing the appropriate delivery method, and deciding the timing and frequency of the training sessions.

Assessing the effectiveness of the training program is another critical responsibility of the HR department. Through methods like surveys, interviews, tests, and performance metrics, HR can evaluate whether the training has brought about the desired changes in employee knowledge, skills, and behaviors. This assessment should not only measure the immediate impact of the training but also its long-term effects on employee performance and organizational outcomes. Based on this analysis, HR can refine and adjust the training programs to ensure continued alignment with organizational goals.

Training leads to Better Performance which leads to Training

Developing a trained workforce helps an organisation to set higher standards of performance, raising the bar in terms of quantity, quality and outcome. In so doing, performance standards that are met lead to the achievement of organisational goals, which gives an organisation greater confidence to set more ambitious and reachable targets. This, in turn necessitates further training requirements, possibly of a higher level, that will subsequently widen employees’ knowledge and understanding. Through the recognition of knowledge acquired by employees, hence creating and sustaining a learning organisation, employees feel empowered to learn and develop further new skills and knowledge.

This sets the scene for the organisation to embrace a kaizen methodology, or a continuous improvement cycle that seeks to improve all organisational functions, from senior management down to the lower levels.

Better organisational performance leads to the attainment of organisational goals, setting even higher objectives based upon the expertise, experience and knowledge already acquired.  The strategic importance of organisational training is further highlighted as employees’ knowledge and capabilities is nowadays a significant source of competitive advantage that in turn enables organisations to reach and exceed set goals.

The direct link between training and organisational goals becomes more evident when the human resources long-term strategy is considered within the holistic corporate strategy. An organisation is only able to reach its’ corporate goals through adequate employee performance, which in turn needs to be sustained by sources of knowledge, expertise and experience, and the opportunity to develop even greater expertise. 

Thus, only by directly linking its’ training objectives to the organisational goals will an organisation be able to maximise its’ return on investment in training, thus not only creating sustainable organisational performance but also setting the scene for even higher organisational objectives.

Measuring the Impact of Training

Assessing the effectiveness of training programs is a crucial part of the process in achieving organizational goals. Without measuring the impact of training, it's challenging to understand its value and the extent to which it is facilitating progress towards achieving strategic objectives.

The first step in measuring the impact of training is to establish clear, measurable objectives at the outset of the training program. These objectives should be directly linked to the organizational goals that the training aims to support. For example, if the organization's goal is to improve customer service, the training objective could be to increase the team's customer satisfaction score by a certain percentage.

Once these objectives are set, it's important to measure progress towards them using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitative measurements might include pre- and post-training assessments, performance metrics, or business results. For instance, comparing the sales figures before and after a sales training program can provide insight into its impact.

Qualitative measurements, on the other hand, can provide context to the numerical data and capture more intangible outcomes. This can be done through feedback surveys, focus group discussions, or one-on-one interviews with participants. For instance, employees may report increased confidence, better teamwork, or improved problem-solving skills following a training program, which can significantly contribute to organizational performance even though these aspects may be harder to quantify.

Measuring the impact of training is not a one-time task but a continuous process. Regularly tracking and analyzing training outcomes allows organizations to spot trends, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions about future training investments.

Measuring the impact of training is not just about proving the value of training initiatives. It is also an essential way to keep training aligned with organizational goals. By regularly assessing the impact of training, organizations can ensure their training programs continue to support their strategic objectives and drive business success.

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