Over 700 individuals participated in the April 2013 Training and Development Survey. Read on to see how the training programs your company offers stack up against those of other successful companies. Initial key highlights include:
- Top compliance training topics for employees are new hire orientation (79%), sexual harassment (75%), and discrimination (69%).
- For professional development training for employees, job-related skills leads the list (73%), followed by communication (66%), customer service skills (59%), teambuilding (49%), computer skills (46%), and time management (36%).
The survey also covered:
- HR’s Role in Training
- Harassment and Discrimination Training
- Training Topics, Methods, and Products
Here are the detailed survey results. How does your organization measure up?
HR’s Role in Training
HR wears multiple hats when it comes to implementing training programs. For example, HR evaluates training materials/options for 59% of our survey participants and purchases the materials for 47%. HR schedules training sessions (64%) and conducts the training (57%).
Additionally, HR not only fulfills supervisor/management requests for training (59%) but also helps supervisors provide individual training for employees as needed (51%). Of the survey participants who answered this question, however, 7% do not currently conduct training.
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Other training duties handled by HR include:
- Developing training materials
- Evaluating the effectiveness of training
- Maintaining training records
- Supporting the training department
When asked who makes decisions about training, 70% of the participants in our survey indicate that it’s executive management. HR management is involved in making those decisions for 67%. In-house counsel is involved in the decision-making process for 8%, and training/development staff is involved for 39% of survey participants.
Harassment Training
Training in preventing workplace harassment is required by city or state law for 48% of survey participants. Sexual harassment complaints lead the field as a problem or concern for 46%, and gender harassment comes in next at 36%. Age and race/color harassment complaints tie as a concern for 31% each, and disability harassment complaints are a problem for 20%. National origin harassment complaints are an issue for 19%, and religious harassment complaints are a concern for 15%.
Though 18% of survey participants have no problems or concerns about harassment in their organizations, 11% have other types of harassment complaint problems that include:
- Bullying
- Education level/qualifications
- Hostile work environment
- Sexual preference
- Socioeconomic background
- Weight
Discrimination Training
Training in preventing workplace discrimination is required by either city or state law for 35% of those who took our survey. Age discrimination is a problem or concern for 41% of our survey participants, and gender discrimination is an issue for 36%. Race/color discrimination is a problem or concern for 38%, and disability discrimination complaints are a problem for 26%. National origin discrimination complaints are an issue for 20%, and religious discrimination complaints are a concern for 14%.
Twenty percent of survey participants have no issues regarding discrimination in their organizations, while 5% have other types of discrimination complaint problems that include:
- Preferential treatment/favoritism
- Socioeconomic background
- Transgender/sexual orientation
How Long Should a Training Session Be?
A half-hour is the preferred session length for legal compliance training of employees for 24% of survey participants and it’s 1 hour for 28%. At 10%, 2 hours of training is the third most selected, and 8% believe 45 minutes is the best length of time for training. All-day training is preferred by 4%, and another 4% prefer half-day sessions.
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When Should Training Occur?
Compliance training is conducted when employees are first hired for 64% of survey participants and yearly for 45%. Monthly compliance training is the norm for 7%, and 55% conduct compliance training as needed. The “other” category for this question in our survey included:
- Biannually
- No training
- Quarterly
- When laws or regulations change
The picture is a little different when it comes to legal compliance training for supervisors. Sessions are conducted as needed for 60% of survey participants and yearly for 40%. Training is also conducted when supervisors are first hired or promoted for 36%.
Compliance training for HR staff is conducted as needed for 63% of survey participants who answered this question and yearly for 16%. This training is conducted when new HR team members join the department for 8%. The “other” category for this question in our survey included:
- Biannually
- No training
- Ongoing
- When laws or regulations change
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll look at more survey results—and describe a unique training resource that gives you ready-to-go, quick training sessions on dozens of critical HR topics.