Employee training is big business and a key factor in many organizations. And yet there are many misconceptions about employee training, especially among the recipients of training—as opposed to career professionals who spend much more time engaged in and researching training. In fact, those who are closest to the training efforts in an organization, may not even be aware that these myths exist and impact employee perceptions, even among supervisory and managerial staff.
An article for Develop Intelligence looked at “10 Myths About Professional Training.” The entire piece is worth a read, but here we look at just a few of them we thought were particularly interesting.
Myth: “Becoming certified won’t help me find a job.”
Develop Intelligence argues that employers look for résumé content suggesting an applicant has the skills needed for the job, and certification goes a long way toward demonstrating just that. For example, the article reports that 89 percent of employers think IT-certified individuals tend to perform better than non-IT-certified employees in a similar job.
Myth: “E-learning is not as recognized as in-person training.”
According to Develop Intelligence, this myth places too much emphasis on the medium of the training, as opposed to the substance and the trainer: “An e-learning course from an accredited and reputable provider will be held in much higher regard than an in-person course from a lesser-known provider.”
Myth: “I’ll have to pay for the training myself.”
Develop Intelligence notes that employee turnover is a common and expensive issue facing many companies, and many employees—including 76 percent of millennials— see professional development opportunities as one of the most important aspects of the attractiveness of an employer. Additionally, the article cites data from HR Magazine reporting that companies that invest $1,500 or more per employee in annual training costs average 24 percent higher profit margins than those with lower levels of investment. In other words, employers have strong incentives to provide employee training on their own dime.
Employee training is crucial to the success of businesses, and it’s key that employees understand the value of training, whether they receive it within their organization or pursue that training on their own. Dispelling some of the common myths around training can go a long way to getting that much-needed buy-in.