Creating Desire For Training

Dear HR Professionals,
We have planned some training programs and activities for our employees for various departments like sales, service and stores etc. But before starting these programs we want employees should really enthusiastic and whole heartedly willing to attend these training because few of our employees does not understand the value, need and importance of these trainings.
What can we do in this matter, how we can create desire in this category of employee so that it should not look like forcefully done trainings. I request your ideas for it. Please help...
regards,
Ashima Goyal
Manager HR

Hi Ashima,
If you can design some treasures related ot that training and paste it on notice board... Or give some intresting fun base activity to prepare something for training.
Again, during the training also make it fun filled so, next time they atleast know the value of "fun learn" and come for training.

Hi Ashima,

This is the most interesting query, I've ever met. I appreciate the care for employees. In present scenario the people have become profit-oriented and want to give less inputs. So, The training seems to be less important to the employees and they predict it as a sheer waste of time, just because the employees are not aware of the benefits. Once the advantages are known to them and when the thought is provoked in them to provide a tremendous growth in the organization, the half of your work is done in increasing the interest.

Another issue is, that the employees may think that after the training is over, they'll have to work harder than before. But that idea is completely wrong. Its important to make them aware that after the completion of the training they will be able to manage the time can obtain best outputs with lesser inputs.

In addition to that, there is a possibility of the question in their mind that the training can be an exhausting and an embarassing one. To make it clear, introduce the trainer to the employees, and let them be aware of what the pattern will be followed at the time of training. Here comes the trainer's role. The trainer has to be capable enough the handle the participant's exhaustion and give proper training keeping in mind their requirements and expectations from the trainer. The training in no way is exhausting.

Once roles of the employees in the organization as well as the training and the benefits they will cause to themselves and indirectly the organization, are clear, they will surely feel interested and feel enthusiastic to attend the training. Moreover they will give proper attention and participation while the training is on.

All The Best,

Regards,

Kunjan Vaishnav.

Hi Ashima,
I think comments made by my other friends are very apt and relevant.
I put this in very simple words:
I usually begin my session by saying something like:
When you undergo training, the first benefit always goes to you.
The second benefit goes to your family.
The third benefit maybe goes to the company.
If participants see how they would personally benefit, they would eagerly participate.
Regards,
Rajiv

Dear Ashima,
Creating desire for Training is not a small task.
In corporate terms, it is called creating buy-in among your employees to achieve the common goal of the organization.
Further to this, you can get back to us for more insights.
Regards,
V V Harish
reachus at piiconsultants.com

Dear Ashima,
Others have given you some good ideas. Hence, as my wont, let me raise a few questions.
Have you clearly outlined the aims and objectives of each training module? If so, have you clearly identified how the outcomes benefit an employee, his/her co-workers, and the company?
In my working days, in the UK, I have been sent to various courses; some of them beneficials others were a waste of time on my part and money on the part of the firmand production loss for the firm. For example, department heads were sent on a weekend course where Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss, Ratio analysis, etc were covered. The company (being a private one) never published its accounts publicly and managers had not seen one.
If by chance, your workers have had previous experience of training sessions that were a waste of time; they would be skeptical.

You create workshop based on outcomes. Let me give few examples:

a) Our workers' absentee ratio is ----. You are attending this training so that we can reduce this ratio by "x" %

b) Average order picking time at our warehouse is ----. We are nominating you (warehouse personnel) for the training because we wanted to reduce it by "x" %

c) This is about conducting workshop on conflict handling skills. In the last year we had "x" serious conflicts among employees, "y" major and "z" minor. By conducting workshop on conflict handling skills, we wanted to reduce these conflicts at all level and make "x" zero.

However, to design outcome based workshops, you need to do lot of research of your systems, processes and organisation as a whole. If you conduct the training for the sake of it then it will never succeed.

One more method of creating interest: - At the time of nominating the employees for the training, tell them clearly that they are being trained to elevate their "----" competency. After three or six months you will evaluate their competency. Entries will be made in their personal documents for those who don't show any improvement. Non-improvement possibly may have impact on their annual increment also.

"Training" is responsibility of HR or Training department but then "learning" is responsibility of the learners. Those who fail to learn, should be given negative discipline. Nothing is wrong in that per se.

Lastly you say that "how we can create desire in this category of employee so that it should not look like forcefully done trainings. I request your ideas for it. Please help..."

I beg to differ with you. Learning is organisation's requirement and it is the duty of the employees to learn. Learning never happens by mollycoddling. I don't understand why you want to adopt this approach.

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.

To start with no one likes training, except the Trainer.
An educative hand-out on the proposed training showing very specifically how it is going to further the career prospects. Possibly live examples / quotes could be cited. Then show how the organisation shall gain if the individuals grow. If organisation grows all grow.
It is simple unless gains are quantified no one wants to learn. If there are gains there is an anxiety.
I have seen this persistent effort paying off. I have a very good response whenever I announce any schedule.

I conduct seminars on goal setting, positive mental attitude and self-motivation amongst engg college students. Even students who do not show much interest in the beginning, become enthusiastic towards the end of the seminar. That enthusiasm is sustained through interesting story-telling, with own life's experiences, anecdotes from professional life. This enables me to conduct training on other modules like Group Discussion, How to face interview etc.
With a little amount of pep-talk amongst the employees one can always generate interest and enthusiasm.

Dear Ms. Ashima Goyal

At the outset, let me be very honest with you since my views are very straight forward and practical in nature.

1. There is urge for every management and employee to understand the CONCEPT OF TRAINING, COUNSELING, MENTORING & COACHING.
   
   It is the responsibility of the MANAGEMENT to educate employees about the IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING while ASSOCIATING it with ORGANISATION'S OBJECTIVES.
   
   It is also the responsibility of the MANAGEMENT to carry out COMPETENCY MAPPING prior to NOMINATING or SUGGESTING an employee to under respective training because TRAINING IS A VERY SERIOUS QUALITY ORIENTED ACTIVITY BUT NOT AN ENTERTAINMENT.
   
   MANAGEMENT must be ready with a PLAN to MEASURE the PERFORMANCE - POST TRAINING, while updating the NOMINEE about the shortcomings to be overcome that can ADD VALUE to ORGANISATION'S PERFORMANCE and EMPLOLYEE as well.
   

If the MANAGEMENT knows about COMPENSATION STRATEGIES linked with TALENT MANAGEMENT & PMS, i am sure, training's will do more than NEEDFUL.

With profound regards