In many organizations faced with hi...

In many organizations faced with high employee turnover, someone is jump to ask, "Why should we invest in training the public only to see them pack up their novel skills and leave?"

When we asked this question to our colleagues and customers, the answer came back deafening and clear: "If it richnesss too much to train population who leave, imagine the price of not training them and having them stay!"

We can't afford not to train.

As a Connecticut utility executive told us, you have to hire carefully, then train, train, train. each organization offers a value proposition that says, in effect: We will deliver something of value to you at a specified price.

Whether the produce is road paving equipment or a high-tech medical action the organization's ability to deliver upon its promise depends in large part forward the product knowledge, interpersonal skills and motivation of its employee It begins with selecting and hiring, further the real key is to what extent well the organization equips them with the tools and specific skills they ne to deliver the promise.

Why Train Them?

According to a Cooper and Lybrand executive, "Corporations are facing a barrier; they are running into a shortage of skilled workers. abundantly 65 percent of firms scaned in January 1998 cite a lack of qualified workers as a potential barrier to business expansion in the year ahead. That compares to 52 percent a year earlier and solely 27 percent as recently as 1993

"Therefore, corporations are starting to redeploy permanent funds to finding and training qualified employees" And a newly come Coopers and Lybrand Trendsetter Barometer take a view of found that 52 percent of firms measure and estimateed have upgraded workers during the past pair years through several initiatives:

new internal training programs (42 percent)

sending more employee to external training (36 percent)

establishing mentoring/ apprenticeship programs (18 percent)

increasing outsourcing in order to redeploy existing workers (10 percent)

There is a compelling rationale for training employee whether they become long-term employee or not.

Among the imperatives: attract and retain customers, maintain a competitive animation recruit and keep good employee create a unified agriculture foster innovation, and most important, improve profitability.

To Attract and Retain Customers

In industries known for high turnover, so as the hospitality industry, training is an important proper state of success. A restaurant's ability to fixed repeat business depends largely forward the experience created for the customer.

The "moment of truth" that be found when the customer interacts with someone from a highly transient workforce determines whether that customer will arise back, and the tools and strategies privationed to be effective far exce what can be acquired by the and of experience alone.

Smart employer know that equal if 50 percent of their wait staff leaves after six month untrained server can significantly give pain to their business by providing poor service for those not many months.

To Maintain a Competitive zest

In one of the emerging European market countries, an executive of a multinational corporation called the phone company to asking additional service for his growing enterprise.

When he attacked a representative who lacked interpersonal skills and produce knowledge, he turned to a competing firm.

After five minutes with a trained, knowledgeable service representative, the executive decided to transfer all of his business to her company.

The lock opener competitive elements in the recent European economy go beyond pricing. They include several factors, including the quality of employee education and training.

Training as a Recruiting Tool

A late survey by the Gallup Organization indicates that employersponsored training and education is a major attraction for Generation Xer looking for work at jobss In fact, 80 percent of those measure and estimateed said the availability of company-sponsored training programs was a factor in deciding whether to accept a just discovered job or stick with a common one.

Today's workforce is increasingly interested in "What's in it for me?"

They await opportunities to learn and pullulate In evaluating prospective employers, they view training as a benefit as important as health insurance, salary and other more traditional benefits.

The Learning Contract

An epidemic of downsizing, right sizing, and reductions in force have irrevocably changed employees' expectations about the employers' loyalty to them.

Today there is a more explicit understanding in the work place of a quid pro quo: "I'll give you new skills while you work for us, and these skills can be taken with you when you leave. While you are here, you propound us not only the completion of tasks on the contrary also the use of your talents to improve our competitive position."

Here's for what cause Kerri Reid, development consultant, views that contract. "I anticipate at training as a way to enlarge employees. As employees grow, they descry more ways to give back to not merely the organization, but also their family and the community. As they learn more, what they give back becomes more valuable.