While need for highly skilled staff increases every year the human resources market has its limits. To train a specialist inside the team is sometimes more profitable for the company, than to offer a job to an experienced outsider. That is why systematic training and staff development sooner or later become one of the main tasks for any company.
According to statistics, companies in the United States spend $ 50 billion a year on staff training. In the large foreign firms process of systematic training covers up to 98% of employees. For our market these figures still seem fantastic. However, in the domestic market there are a lot of options for corporate training. Many large companies set up staff development departments, or even corporate training centers, where hundreds of employees can learn at the same time. Relatively small companies usually limit themselves to short-term trainings and seminars conducted with trainers from the outside.
At crisis times companies try to lessen the expenses. The effect of corporate training is not conspicuous right away. Put together with the cost of corporate training it becomes obvious why companies try to find alternatives to the external training. One of such ways is training center on the basis of HR department.
Training center on the basis of HR department has a lot of advantages:
- It helps to adapt more flexibly to the changes in the company.
- It also allows developing specialized programs oriented to the solution of corporate tasks. Internal trainers are familiar with the organization specifics. So, it makes possible to preserve and enhance the unique experience gained over the lifetime of the company, to ensure continuity of knowledge.
- HR-department can develop individual education plans to each staff member on the basis of general curriculum of the company. These plans may take into account the period of employment, position, the results of qualifying evaluations, coaches’ and leaders’ reviews, as well as the wishes of the employee.
Thus, the internal training center allows to implement three important principles of educational programs: «just enough», «just in time», «just for me». And not the least of the factors is that it enables substantial cost cuttings.
Naturally, the staff training specialist is faced a difficult task. On the one hand, staff education should be systematic, coherent and focused on professional effectiveness improving. It also should take into account corporate needs. On the other hand, such a system can work successfully only in the case of the regular inspection and updating. That is necessary to find a reasonable balance between internal and external methods of learning, and constantly monitor emerging trends in the corporate training market.
A single recipe for the organization of internal corporate training does not exist. However, we can highlight the essential elements that can be included in a set of learning activities.
Adaptation Program for new employees. Its main point is to introduce a range of functional responsibilities, to study the organizational structure and methods of interaction within the company (internal document circulation scheme, hierarchical structure of the organization, the circle of officials, and the scope of their professional responsibility). Also this program must include familiarization with corporate culture, mission and strategy. Adaptation Program can be used in a shortened version for the staff moved to another position.
Coaching. In this training system every experienced staff member (coach) is in charge of one or several lower-level employees. Coach consults and periodically tests the ward.
Professional training for various positions. A lot of training companies offer such training programs. However, HR or staff training manager can create such courses on his/her own. They usually contain a theoretical part, practical part (training) and tests.
Business trainings. This block includes leadership training, team building, the development of managerial, communication skills, presentation skills, ability to work in conflict or stressful situations, etc.
Infobase. Regulatory documents, job descriptions, guides to the various branches of knowledge, as well as intracorporate methodological framework of principles and methods of work, completed projects etc. This section can be interactive. That is, all members of the company will add the information to the base, and their contribution will be taken into account when evaluating the results of their work
The modular organization of training courses is most convenient. Most of modern e-learning programs are built on this principle. Electronically supported learning uses both Internet technology and the ability of the local network. This structure allows of learning process diversifying.
The interactive e learning center could become a real alternative to expensive and not always an effective external trainings and a major component of corporate personnel management system.