Recent research from Cornerstone OnDemand (www.csod.com) identified three concerns related to training with which nearly every company grapples.
The first concern is an increasing absence of ongoing training and development. Only 32 percent of employed American adults in the survey have received training and development to boost job performance in the past 6 months.
The second concern is misaligned goals and expectations between managers and employees. Only 25 percent of survey respondents reported that they have set career goals with their manager/employer, making a good argument for employers to provide supervisory training on performance reviews.
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The third concern is lack of individual recognition and performance feedback. Two-thirds (66 percent) of respondents said they have not received useful feedback on their performance, again showing an opportunity where managers and supervisors can be educated about the importance of recognition and feedback, as well as best practices to deliver them.
“The worldwide skills shortage is quickly becoming a crisis across companies of all sizes and industries,” said Jason Corsello, vice president of corporate strategy and marketing for Cornerstone OnDemand, a provider of cloud-based talent management software solutions. “Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet to address the global skills shortage. But companies can take action to build programs today and invest more in ongoing training and continuous feedback for their employees.”
The survey reveals opportunities to evolve management and development strategies and help employers narrow the skills gap, increase engagement, and retain talent. Three of those opportunities directly address training.
The first opportunity is reskilling high-potential employees and filling critical roles. Cornerstone OnDemand recommends looking internally for high-potential employees and reskilling them with targeted training instead of relying on external candidates.
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The second opportunity is coaching-style performance management. There is a need for continuous dialogue between managers and direct reports, real-time performance coaching, and one-on-one feedback. “Employee goals should be more in sync with business objectives, as well as their own career aspirations. And training and development become more essential parts of the mix in order to make performance and career discussions more actionable,” the company found.
The third opportunity is just-in-time training and development. Social networks, mobile devices, and the cloud make training easier and more convenient, Cornerstone OnDemand reported. “When blended with traditional development opportunities, these new ways of learning can help to create efficiencies and lower the cost of training initiatives.”