Companies are opting for new tactics in their quest to develop leadership and team-play skills. A company training-day may involve SAS-style assault courses, karaoke and soul-searching events. But, are they expecting too much from an already reluctant workforce?
When it comes to training, one in two employers claim they'd be willing to put their employees through short term 'pain' if it would reap long term 'gain'. However, a survey of 1,500 office workers by leading recruitment consultancy Office Angels, revealed that apathy towards training is prevalent, with almost half (48%) admitting they treat a training day like a day off work.
In a bid to cut through this perceived indifference to training, UK companies are turning to 'alternative' professional development techniques in the hope of getting more value from the staggering £17.37 billion they spend overall every year.
Alternative training methods include:
- Assert Course - An SAS-style assault course - including wading through mud, climbing through pipes - improves self-assertion
- Building Bridges - A team bridge building exercise, which relies on one person taking the lead to ensure project gets finished - encourages people to be more confident in taking the initiative
- Office Karaoke - Go for singing lessons or a session of karaoke with colleagues where everyone learns the different parts and then comes together in harmony (hopefully) - good team-building exercise
Training days in the past have been perceived as stereotypically boring, and unrelated to an individual's career development. All too often training days are seen by employees as ploys created for the benefit of the company as a whole, not the individual.
But despite this, nine out of ten office workers still believe training is vital to their career progression and over half think including a professional training qualification on their CV will demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve their professional abilities to future employers.
Pippa Evans worked for an advertising company that organised a one-day adventure challenge including abseiling, cycling, running and kayaking. 'I was concerned that my fitness was going to be a problem, I'm not sporty and was really freaking out before we left.'
Many employees like Evans worry that the more physical training exercises will suit some more than others, and that 'competing' against more athletic colleagues may in some way negatively affect a less active individual's image within a company. However, on completing the course, Evans discovered that the training highlighted strengths that she never knew she had, 'what an awesome, inspiring experience it was to be pushed to the limit and realise that every other day we use just tiny bits of what we're capable of: I would love to do it again'.
Training events such as these can also bring certain attributes of junior staff to the attention of more senior colleagues, that may not always be obvious in the context of the office. 'I was the youngest and the least senior, but found I could cope with the activities better than the others' said James Ganio after an adventure training competition with his company in Croatia. 'I ended up leading the rest of the team around the course which helped to not only build my confidence, but cement friendships with my work colleagues.'
'To be successful, a training course needs to be interactive, engaging and relevant' says Paul Jacobs, Managing Director of Office Angels. 'Employers should look carefully at what they and their employees are hoping to get from the training before choosing a course, and should also consider bespoke courses in order to get the best fit, rather than simply buying training off the shelf'.
Top training tips for Employers
- Do your research, there are many courses out there and some will be better suited than others.
- Choose the training to fit the skills rather than vice versa.
- Consult those who will be attending the course before and get their feedback before booking.
- Don't treat training day as a 'day off' - you will only benefit if you are engaged with the activities and concentrate.
- Do make sure you handover any urgent or outstanding work to a colleague beforehand - again you won't get the full benefit if you're worrying about unfinished tasks.
- Do give constructive feedback to your boss after training with reasons for why a certain part of the course was or wasn't relevant/useful.
If you are still unsure, find out whether you arelegally obliged to take part in training
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