Training your staff

Developing and implementing effective staff training can benefit your employees and your business. By investing in your staff, even on a small training budget, you can drive down costs to your business and help increase sales and profits.

What are the benefits of staff training?

Developing your workforce and improving their skills through training can:

• increase productivity - see managing the performance of your staff
• improve the quality of work
• reduce faults, waste or customer complaints with streamlined processes and more competent staff
• positively affect staff morale and motivation - see lead and motivate your staff
• reduce staff turnover and absenteeism
• help your business adapt to change and prepare for growth - see change management and planning business growth
• give you a competitive advantage over your business rivals - see increase your market share
• help you attract top talent if your business is seen as one that values and invests in their workers - see recruiting staff

To identify training that matches the specific needs of your staff and business goals you can carry out a training needs analysis (TNA).

Training needs analysis is a method used by businesses to identify training requirements in a cost efficient way. This process involves evaluating training needs and weighing up training priority areas at all levels within a business. Training needs analysis forms the first step of the training development cycle:

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What are the stages of training needs analysis?

There are three key stages of training needs analysis. These involve identifying the direction of the organisation, understanding the skills and knowledge of staff through a task analysis, and analysing the individual needs of each employee. These three stages of training needs analysis are explained in more detail below:

1) Organisational needs - this step evaluates the overall training needs in the business. This is where you analyse future skills needs due to changes in products, equipment, technology, teams or in response to economic or political factors. Upcoming changes in law or industry standards may also influence the training needs for your business. Practical ways of identifying organisational needs is by reviewing documents, processes, setting up advisory teams and carrying out a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and strengths) analysis - our SWOT analysis template will help you get started:

• SWOT analysis blank template (DOC, 12K)

2) Task analysis - at this level you compare the job requirements of your business with existing employee skills and knowledge. This will help you to identify the potential gaps. Here you establish how often specific tasks are performed, the level of skill and knowledge required to perform these tasks and where and how these skills are best acquired. Practical ways of carrying out this analysis is to create assessment centres, tests or practical observations of employees carrying out key tasks.

3) Individual needs - at this stage, you examine the training needs of each employee. This information is most often gathered from performance reviews and appraisal systems. You may seek feedback from employees on their recommendations on how to solve problems that may be hampering their day-to-day job. Other practical ways of identifying individual training requirements for your employees is through surveys, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

• SWOT analysis template with specific staff training questions (DOC, 17K)

Support to help your business with training needs analysis

Invest Northern Ireland offers help and advice to local businesses on upskilling their workforce. The training needs analysis workshops give you an insight into the tools and techniques used by learning and development professionals to analyse training needs.

Training needs analysis tutorial videos

The embedded video below is an introduction to a tutorial on training needs analysis. You can view the full Invest NI training needs analysis tutorial.

After you have identified the staff training required through training needs analysis, you will want to interpret the results and put your findings into practice.

Understanding the training needs analysis process

To effectively implement and deliver the benefits of your training needs analysis, you should consider the following steps:

1. Link to your business goals and strategy - embed the results of your training needs analysis within the direction of future training. This will ensure that you are applying your training budget to the areas within your business that need it most.

2. Prioritise training needs - this is when you form the justification for your training budget by identifying how training will meet business key performance indicators (KPIs) - see use KPIs to assess business performance. Your initial analysis may have identified the need for staff training in multiple areas, so you will need to prioritise the parts that you will focus on first. For example, you might consider if the training can help employees carry out existing tasks more efficiently or to a higher standard, or will it train staff to take on a new role with increased responsibilities. In short, what is most important to your business?

To help identify priority training courses, you can carry out a training course priority weighting exercise. This is where you weigh up the costs and benefits of a number of training courses to identify the most beneficial one for your business. Download our training course priority weighting template (DOC, 13K).

3. Find training solutions - establish how you will deliver the training whether in-house or through external trainers. Some options include:

• conferences
• workshops/seminars
• e-learning/webinars
• books/journal
• coaching or mentoring
• job shadowing
• secondment

See a list of training methods to fit your business.

You can search our Events Finder for suitable training courses and events.

4. Communicate - it is important to keep your employees informed of the reasons why they may have to complete certain training. Publish your training needs analysis findings and any associated training plans. Invite feedback from your employees on how they found the training they undertook.

5. Evaluate - you should evaluate the training outcomes demonstrating how the training delivers value for money. Consider naming someone who is responsible for evaluating training (eg a dedicated staff or line manager). Analyse the impact of all training on your employees, business and productivity. You can use a range of tools to give you qualitative and quantitative evaluation feedback. You should attempt to assess the impact of the training on employees by comparing their abilities before and after training completion. The evidence you gather at this stage should be fed back to management as a demonstration of how the training provides return on investment for the business.

Most training providers use evaluation methods which fit into the Kirkpatrick Model of Evaluation for Training (PDF, 302K), where example methods are matched to each level of evaluation.

Support to help your business with training needs analysis

Invest Northern Ireland offers help and advice to local businesses on upskilling their workforce. The training needs analysis workshops give you an insight into the tools and techniques used by learning and development professionals to analyse training needs.

An outline of some methods your business could use to help train your staff, including their advantages and disadvantages.

There are many organisations offering training courses throughout Northern Ireland.

Choosing a training provider: what to consider

When deciding who to select for your training provider, you should consider:

• Does the trainer understand your business? Is their experience relevant to your sector?
• Is the training at the right level, is it tailored to your business, as opposed to being a generic course?
• Do the logistics of the training satisfy you? Is it run at an appropriate venue, at the right times and dates?
• Is the trainer or training business linked to any associations who can recommend them?
• Could you speak to other clients who have undergone the training?

It is likely that there will be a number of suppliers offering possible courses. You should investigate each one thoroughly to ensure they meet your requirements before going ahead.

Where to find training courses

• Our Events Finder lists business events from organisations across Northern Ireland, including training courses, conferences, workshops, seminars and webinars.
• The Department for the Economy (DfE) offers a range of employer support programmes and services to meet a variety of employer/employee needs.
• Learndirect offers access to business courses that can be tailored to your needs. Employees can also study for recognised qualifications in the workplace.
• The Open University provides over 600 distance learning courses that allow employees to study for university qualifications. Employees can complete courses at a pace that suits them. They are supported throughout by a tutor and a range of course materials.
• Specialist Provision for Industry using College Expertise (SPICE) offers a range of training courses specifically aimed at business and industry. View all SPICE courses.
• Regional colleges offer practical business support solutions. They range from provision of training and workforce development, to activities aimed at improving business competitiveness and productivity. Find a list of Northern Ireland's regional Further Education (FE) colleges.

Support to help your business with training needs analysis

Invest Northern Ireland offers help and advice to local businesses on upskilling their workforce. The training needs analysis workshops give you an insight into the tools and techniques used by learning and development professionals to analyse training needs.

Being recognised as an organisation which invests in its people through training and development can impress prospective customers, suppliers and new recruits.

If you are seeking recognition of your training efforts, you should consider applying for the Investors in People Awards.

Investors in People

Investors in People (IIP) is a management standard for high performance through people. The prestigious accreditation is recognised across the world as a mark of excellence.

Read more on Investors in People: the Standard for people management.

Recognition through business awards

Business awards run by various organisations and local councils usually have award categories that recognise the efforts of employers to train, develop and look after their staff. You may find it beneficial to apply for business awards in order to have your training efforts recognised and rewarded. You can find business awards by checking our business news section or business support finder.

There are several sources of sector-specific advice on skills development for employees working in a particular industry.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

Sector Skills Councils provide sector specific advice on skills development for employees doing particular jobs. They are independent employer led organisations that provide a range of services to help employers to reduce skills shortages and improve learning standards.

Each Sector Skills Council will agree priorities and targets with its employers and partners to address four key goals:

• reducing skills gaps and shortages
• improving productivity, business and performance
• increasing opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's workforce, including action on equal opportunities
• improving learning supply - to include apprenticeships, higher education and national occupational standards

Sector Training Councils (STCs)

Sector Training Councils were established in 1994 as independent employer representative bodies in Northern Ireland. Their role is to:

• articulate the skills, education and training needs of their sectors in the short and long term
• advise on training standards required for their sectors
• work with the Department for the Economy (DfE) and SSCs to ensure that training needs and standards are met

You can find out more about individual Sector Training Councils at the links below:

• CITB NI
• Electrical Training Trust (ETT)
• Food & Drink Sector Skills (FDSS)
• Northern Ireland Screen (NIS)
• NI Polymers Association (NIPA)
• Transport Training Services