Training and development need not cost you a fortune!

We all know that investing in training and development can be of great benefit to an organisation: leading to increased job satisfaction, motivation, employee retention, enhanced company image just to mention a few examples.

And, albeit knowing the benefits, we still tend to allow the cost element to deter us from providing the necessary training and tools for our people. If ‘beyond our budget’ is indeed your company’s valid and true reason for not providing training, then your HR team should be seeking different, creative ways to help develop your people.

This may may also be a good opportunity to re-think and re-invent the company’s current training and development implementation approach. It may also be true that today’s generational workforce are not engaged or motivated with the perennial traditional face-to-face, classroom approach.

There are training grants and funds currently available. But, there are other ways by which your organisation may organize platforms for development to take place.

  • Getting to know your employees better

Your employees provide a great platform of different skills sets and characteristics. They all bring their own experience, knowledge and expertise. Giving them the opportunity to make use of their skills to help with the development of others may cost you nothing.   It also gives the employee the opportunity to develop their own presentation skills. Ask your employees whether they’re interested or passionate about a particular topic or pin-point and approach those employees with specialized skills sets.

  • Tap into your own network

You might not wish to involve employees. Another feasible, non-costly option can be to identify people in your network. These may be willing and interested in engaging with your employees about a particular topic of relevance to them and to the company. These individuals may be experts in their own field. The duration of these sessions does not need to be long – an hour or so may be just enough for employees to cut off from their daily routine and open up to listening, and possibly learn, something new

  • Use readily-available sources

Platforms such as LinkedIn, TED Talks and articles, journals and magazines are all excellent readily available tools that can be used to develop oneself. Encourage employees to watch, listen or read or organize sessions specifically to watch and listen to these readily-available learning resources.

  • Introducing a mentoring or buddying system

Again, your employees may be the greatest resource you have at your disposal to help with the development of their fellow colleagues.  ‘Buddying’ and pairing employees will give them access to their mentor’s knowledge and expertise.


About the author

Maria Bartolo Zahra is Managing Director and HR Advisor at SurgeAdvisory. She has over fifteen years of human resources and business advisory experience.