IT Training is Too Expensive
We frequently hear that IT training is too expensive. The real question is this: What is the real cost of not training your employees? Projects get pushed back, causing costly delays in every department.
“An investment in education always pays the highest returns.”—Ben Franklin
Uncle Ben knew this to be true 250 years ago. Too many companies view training as an expense rather than as an investment (ROI). ROI is measurable. Most IT projects have a specific deadlines and when missed, what is the real cost of that delay? Missed deadlines immediately create more time in meetings with developers and managers to discuss the situation, provide updates on the project and set new deadlines. Often companies don’t account for the amount of money that it costs them to hold a meeting. Given the investment companies make in the IT compensation, this could cost more than $1000 per hour of meeting time. The next time you are sitting in one of these types of meetings, figure out how much each individual is paid to attend the meeting, the expense might surprise you. With the right IT training is place, more often deadlines are met and these meeting can be minimized.
To get the most from your training dollars most training companies will offer pre and post tests to your employees to check on the effectiveness of the training. Work with the training company on the areas that need improvement and work with them to design the test.
High Turnover
Companies are concerned that if they train their employees, the employees will leave the company. This is simply not true. Trained employees tend to stay longer with their current employers and get more gratification from the work they are doing. Besides the actual calculations of ROI, there are many other intangibles of training. It improves employee morale and employees feel important in their roles. If training is also part of the benefits package, it will help attract stronger candidates for employment.
Training Takes Too Much Time from Production
Most training classes and schedules can be customized. Many IT training companies can work around scheduling challenges and accommodate training and productivity objectives. For example, rather than have a 5-day (8 hours per day) class, make it a 10-day (4 hours per day) class over a two-week period. The employees can attend class in the morning and then work in the afternoon. Training companies can also customize courses so that the training is very specific and the employees can be trained on exactly what they need. For example, a 5-day course can be turned into a 4-day course with the fifth day used for specific issues to help complete the project. Or, do 4 days of training and then have a Q and A session a month after the training to address real issues that have come up and how to resolve them.
Companies Don’t See the Long-term Benefits
Not only will IT training help improve internal processes; it will also help with external customers. Completing a project accurately and on time is important for external customers. Consultants can help in certain situations; however, once they leave, they take their knowledge with them. Depending on how they are compensated, it may not benefit the consultants to be timely in their work. With full-time employees, it benefits them and the company to be timely and accurate on their projects. With the right training, the employees will be more confident, more productive and a better employee overall.
Perhaps the best way to think about IT Training is like proper dental hygiene, you only have to take care of those teeth you want to keep and stay healthy. The trade-off of failing to train your IT staff will manifest itself in productivity losses, employee turnover and employee morale. While investment in your staff is always a challenge, if you have a technology based business, training is essential to the health of the organization.
Zig Ziglar put is best, “What’s worse than training your workers and losing them? Not training them and keeping them.”
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