How Are You Adapting Training and Development Strategies in a Post-COVID World?

Hi all, hope you all are doing well. Now that all operations are restarting post-COVID-19, any inputs on how you will be starting T&D activities?

Training and Development Strategies Post-COVID

As for me, I have been working as an HR executive in a manufacturing plant. Since we all have cost-cutting and budget issues in mind, if you're aware of IMS policy and ISO standards, instead of taking the TNI for staff and workers the usual way (in March, we plan around the year's training activity), I am thinking of opting only for mandatory training like safety, harassment, etc.

Virtual Training Options

Also, we can have virtual email training with little tips and input on a set frequency basis.

How will learning and development change post-COVID? Share your inputs.

Training and Development: Honing Existing Skills and Building New Skills

Training and development, focusing on both honing existing skills and building new ones, are need-based activities that have consistently benefited employers. In the future, even more benefits will accrue as employee-trainees, post-COVID-19, realize that the future belongs to learners, while the "learned" will soon become passé. Therefore, trainees will advocate for training to become better than before, remaining employable in uncertain times by honing their skill sets. They will participate in training with the mindset of coming to a foundation to drink, not just to gargle.

Employers' Investment in Training

Employers, aiming to survive and thrive, should earmark a training budget by discarding a penny-wise, pound-foolish approach, treating the expenditure as an investment rather than a cost.

Challenges in Training Initiatives

Some employers have experienced less than expected benefits from such investments in development initiatives due to several reasons. Chief among these were unplanned workshops or programs and hurriedly hired training facilitators lacking a vision of ROI.

"Aatm Nirbhar Bharat": The New Clarion Call

"Aatm Nirbhar Bharat" is the new clarion call, and we are ready to achieve it.

Kritarth Team of Training Facilitators Delivering Top Notch Benefits to Employers & Employees, Students & Other Aspirants,

25.5.2020

Training and Development in the COVID-19 Era

What is the nature of your industry? What is your designation? What is the total employee count? How were training activities conducted in the past? What was the average cost per program?

In the current pandemic of COVID-19, nothing matters to companies other than improving the productivity of employees. Therefore, any training activities you conduct should translate into a higher level of performance. Try identifying the relationship between operational ratios and engagement activities. The following are the guidelines:

a) Reduction in the consumption of resources
b) Reduction in the turnaround time of some processes
c) Reduction in the generation of scrap
d) Reduction of costs like inventory carrying cost, inspection cost, etc.
e) Reduction in energy consumption
f) Number of suggestions generated before the engagement program and after the program
g) Improvement in customer satisfaction

From the above list, try identifying the most critical issues and conduct the training program. Upon completion of the training, you should be able to measure the training effectiveness after a specific time period.

Generally, HR professionals are not known for measuring training effectiveness in measurable and tangible terms. However, now COVID-19 presents a great opportunity for HR to prove their worth. You may avail of the benefit at least now!

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Impact of Post-Lockdown on Training and Development

Regarding your question about whether T&D will change post-lockdown, the answer is no. What will change are the focus and priorities.

In my view, the traditional areas will continue to occupy their space, perhaps within a constrained budget. Due to financial constraints, some training may have to be reduced or put on the back burner. However, health and safety will be the areas of focus with top priority.

The Role of Managers in Training

I want to share a thought here. I believe that organizations need to train their managers to take responsibility for their teammates and to assume the role of expert trainers. Companies often heavily rely on outsourced training interventions rather than developing internal resources.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant