A new take on ‘training contracts'

If I were to use the words ‘training contract', I am sure you would instantly assume that I were talking about an agreement that you might sign with a training provider. That would be a pretty safe assumption, right? However, you would be wrong. When I use the words ‘training contract', I am actually referring to a bond between you and your employees that could work to transform the way you train your team.

If you have read Network HR regularly over the past year, you will know that we have been tirelessly searching for ways to help you reward and retain your top employees. We have detailed such initiatives as pension schemes, work/life balances, flexible benefits and share options. You may also have noticed that even though these ideas will bear fruit in the long run for your organisation, they are focused more on the employee rather than the employer. A ‘training contract' however, is a benefit that works both ways - it rewards both your organisation and its top talent. Let me outline this fresh new idea.

 "A ‘training contract' is a benefit that works both ways - it rewards both your organization and its top talent."

The Value of Training

We have already spoken at length in previous issues of NHR about the benefits of initiating strong training plans for your organisation. These allow you to develop your existing employees and help you to nurture your future leaders. However, training can also help as a great recruitment tool. By showing prospective employees that your organisation offers the opportunity to grow, develop and drive their career forward, you make the roles you have on offer far more attractive than other organisations in similar fields. Another area I have also explored at great length is the use of training as a retention tool. If you make solid provisions for your high potential employees' training and development, they are far less likely to jump ship.

The Value of Training Contracts

Training is certainly a powerful tool, but all too often major organisations do not use it as well as they could. How can you rectify this? One way is by initiating training contracts. So, you ask, what is a training contract? As I discussed earlier, a training contract is a two-way relationship, through which both sides need to make strong commitments to employee development. This can be a simple discussion between employer and employee in which you detail the training you will provide for them and the commitments you expect in return. Or, to take things to a more formal level, you can employ a formal written agreement between you and your employees, in which you establish the commitments to be made by both sides.

What can the employer do for the employee?

Let's first take a look at your side of the bargain. What does your organisation need to do? I am sure most of you already have training plans in place. I am also sure that most of you will have done an excellent job in formulating these. So, I would not even dream of trying to tell you how to improve them. This, however, is not the key issue. Instead, the way you communicate the details and expectations of your plan is actually just as important as the training itself. Your training certainly cannot be successful if you and your employees are not on the same page and if they have different ideas about the skills they feel they need to develop.

"Your training certainly cannot be successful if you and your employees are not on the same page."

I have seen several examples of this while conducting both Business English and Soft Skills training around north China. In many situations, HR and the employees' line-managers had one objective in mind, such as improving communication skills or ensuring staff can deliver powerful presentations in English. The employees, on the other hand, focused on different factors, such as improving their grammar or expanding their vocabulary. If divergent goals such as these are not recognised and redressed, the training can lose its effectiveness. So, what can you do to avoid this? Listed below are three important factors the employer must deal with in the ‘training contract'.