Effects of Global Training on Employee Performance
Clarke Ricks School of Business,
Liberty University
BUSI 690: Policy and Strategy in Global Competition
Dr. Hicks
July 9, 2022
Effects of Global Training on Employee Performance
Companies can reap the rewards of providing training for their employees because well-
trained workers help increase productivity and profits. Investing in employee training should
improve worker retention rates, customer satisfaction and creativity for new product ideas.
Effective training saves labor by reducing time spent on problem-solving and saves money in
the long run by producing a better workforce.
Saving Time and Costs
Investment in training can improve a company’s financial standing. Poor performance
often results when employees don’t know exactly what they’re supposed to do, how to do their
jobs or why they need to work a certain way. Training can help solve these performance
problems by explaining the details of the job.
This should reduce duplication of effort in the workplace, the time spent correcting
mistakes and the problem solving necessary to correct bad performances. Improved
performance from employee training can reduce staff turnover, lower maintenance costs by
reducing equipment breakdowns and result in fewer customer complaints. Better performance
from employees typically creates less need for supervision and brings increased worker output.
Employee Satisfaction and Self-Esteem
Job satisfaction generally increases and self-esteem improves when employees better
understand the workings of the company. Training can also enhance morale on the job and
loyalty to the company. Workers who believe their company offers excellent training
opportunities are generally less likely to leave their companies within a year of training than
employees with poor training opportunities.
Expectations and Needs
Training plays a key role in employee commitment, too. The training program must meet
the expectations and needs of the employees, though. Companies are more likely to retain
employees who view their training as relevant to their jobs and subsequently have a positive
commitment to their company. A successful training program consists of management
providing employees with accurate information and communication about the training as well
as a program that ensures that training is relevant to their jobs.
Training can be done internally by current employees, or by hiring an external company or
consultant. Determine what it is you want your employees to learn through training. Then see if
someone in your organization has those skills and would be able, and have the time, to do the
training.
Employee Turnover Costs
Keeping well-trained employees pays off significantly for companies because the cost of
employee turnover can be high. Costs include separation costs, such as exit interviews,
administrative functions related to termination, severance pay and unemployment
compensation. Replacement costs consist of attracting applicants, entrance interviews, testing,
travel and moving expenses, pre-employment administrative expenses, medical exams and
supplying employment information.
Studies show that the cost of replacing employees increases with the level of the
employee. For example, the cost of replacing a mid-range manager is 20 percent of the $40,000
salary, or $8,000. The cost of replacing a top executive, however, can be as high as 213 percent
of salary. So an executive earning $100,000 could cost as much as $213,000 to replace.
Employee Training Factors
Many factors determine whether a training program will be effective for a company that
has lost employees, depending on how many workers are leaving. For example, using
temporary workers to fill in for former employees on occasion might actually save costs.
Management can determine if a training program will work out by looking at the increased
workloads for employees caused by vacancies, the stress and tension from turnover, declining
employee morale and the decreased productivity that results from high loss of employees.
Goals for Employee Development Trainers
Employee development trainers play an important role in the success of a business or
organization. These professionals are responsible for the ongoing training that makes
employees better equipped to deal with the day-to-day functions of their job. When utilizing
the services of an employee development trainer, it's a good idea to have training goals that are
clearly defined so that the trainer can focus energy on meeting them as efficiently as possible.
Assessment
Employee development trainers need to be able to assess where employees stand in relation to
their ability to complete their jobs correctly. This provides the trainer with a baseline for
judgment of the employee's future performance. Development trainers must accurately gauge
how much the employee has improved through each career stage to determine whether or not
that worker is meeting company expectations.
Skill Development
Employees who lack some of the skills necessary to complete their jobs may need some
additional training. Employee development trainers are generally responsible for identifying
these deficiencies and helping the employee to acquire the skills through further training and
education. Employee skills should match the job for which they are hired, but ideally, the
trainer should also help the employee develop additional skills that will lead to career
advancement later on.
Self Development
Development trainers who are highly visible within an organization should take the time to
engage in continuing education so that they can lead through model behavior. Trainers are not
just corporate human resource personnel -- they are integral to the ongoing performance of
employees. This can be greatly enhanced by the modeling of correct and desirable behavior
within the scope of daily work activities.
Feedback
Employee development trainers should be able to provide consistent and useful feedback so
that employees can see the areas in which they have improved and those in which they still lag
behind. Feedback should be tactful and encouraging, rather than simply tearing down the
employee to show him what he's doing wrong. Deficiencies should be noted, but only in
relation to the overall job, including the recognition of positive as well as negative performance.
Employee training and development programs are essential to the success of businesses
worldwide. Not only do these programs offer opportunities for staff to improve their skills, but
also for employers to enhance employee productivity and improve company culture.
They also can reduce employee turnover — and a 2020 Work Institute study shows just
how important that can be for a company’s bottom line. Voluntary employee turnover,
according to the report, costs U.S. businesses more than $630 billion annually.
With the right education and credentials, like an online bachelor’s in HR management, you
can learn to address personnel challenges like this — or to prevent them entirely.
It’s no surprise that employees who get regular opportunities to learn, develop, and
advance are more likely to stay with a company. Bob Nelson, author of 1,001 Ways to Engage
Employees, reports that learning and development are among the top factors in employee
engagement.
Employee development is the continuous effort to strengthen work performance through
approaches like coaching, training sessions, and leadership mentoring. Training is a specific
event that teaches new information or skills, often provided to new or newly promoted
employees. Both are key functions of corporate human resources staff, who typically are
responsible for planning and implementing these efforts. A bachelor’s degree in human
resource management can help prepare you to lead training and development programs at
your organization.
Training and Development Enhance Employee Performance
Employee training and development programs are critical for enhancing employee
performance. In fact, a 2019 report published in The International Journal of Business and
Management Research indicates that 90% of employees surveyed agreed or strongly agreed
that training and development programs improved their job performance.
Companies can offer many kinds of in-person or online training and development
opportunities for employees. And they can use in-house training, third-party training, or off-site
activities to provide those opportunities. These are some types of training and development
often available to employees:
Management training
Sales training
New employee training
Mentoring programs
Apprenticeships
Following are some ways employee training and development efforts improve employee
performance.
Training for New Responsibilities
Whether they are cross-training to understand multiple roles or moving into new positions,
employees can prepare for additional responsibilities through training and development
opportunities. Training and development programs can help employees learn the skills they
need in their current roles and introduce leadership skills and software knowledge they will
need in the future. One form of training, apprenticeship, allows employees to start as trainees
and progress to a higher-level role.
Learning About Industry and Technology Updates
Employee training and development programs can help staff stay up to date on changes in
their industry, such as in ethics, safety, or quality standards. They also can show staff new ways
to think and work, employing updated technology and processes and educating workers about
cybersecurity threats. Putting these new tools and practices to work in their day-to-day roles
can lead to better outcomes for employees — and their employers.
Adapting to Remote Work
Safety precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic moved about 80% of employees to
remote work, according to research firm Brandon Hall Group. Since most of the employees
previously worked on-site, companies and those working for them have grappled with finding
and implementing new tools and resources to accommodate this new environment for work.
Training and development focused on these new processes can aid in making this transition.
Updating New Employee Training
New employees often receive training as part of the onboarding process. But refreshers on
the information they learned in that training are valuable. The lessons often are easier to digest
once employees are more familiar with the organization and their own roles. Additionally, these
updates provide opportunities to reinforce diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) education.
Companies often mandate that employees complete annual training courses on important
issues such as anti-harassment and legal compliance.
Addressing Performance Review Findings
Training and development programs can help employees build on strengths and address
deficiencies identified in their performance reviews. These reviews often recommend
knowledge or skills on which an employee should focus for improvement, and training and
development efforts can help the employee meet that need. Training and development
programs also can help employees discover areas in which they could use additional
educational opportunities and support.
Developing Soft Skills
Employee training and development programs can strengthen the soft skills that are
essential in adapting to changes at work and in society. Training that highlights examples of soft
skills such as resilience, emotional intelligence, and agility in professional settings can create an
atmosphere that fosters productivity and camaraderie.
Training and Development Boost Employee Productivity
Employee productivity is another area where the importance of training and development
can be seen. Employees who take part in effective training and development programs work
more efficiently. To evaluate the effectiveness of their employee development and training
programs, organizations can perform these measures, according to HR Technologist:
Measuring performance results — Evaluating work outcomes to determine levels of
improvement
Giving pre- and post-training assessments — Asking employees to share what they
expect from training and development programs and whether the company’s efforts
met those expectations
Mining data — Studying data such as time spent on a course or dropout rates to glean
insights about how employees are engaging with the content
Conducting polls and tests — Polls and competitions within the training can measure
employees’ knowledge and engagement
Employee productivity can be an indicator of a training’s effectiveness. Below are some
examples of ways that training and development programs boost employee productivity.
Improving Task Management
Training and development programs help employees manage tasks individually or in teams,
relying on a greater understanding of processes and clearly defined goals. Because employees
are well-versed in the skills required for their job, they will require less time to find ways to
perform tasks.
Targeting Required Skills
Providing training and development to employees allows employers to pinpoint the
knowledge and skills they want their employees to have. Training and development programs
can educate employees about new skills or provide updates on existing skills to enhance
productivity.
Encouraging Continuous Improvement
Today’s ever-changing technologies call for upskilling on a regular basis, and training and
development programs provide that opportunity. These efforts encourage innovation and a
willingness to take risks to improve processes — with less need for supervision.
Instilling Confidence
Not only will employees who have participated in training and development programs be
more confident in their knowledge and abilities, but so will their managers. This confidence
fosters a sense of enthusiasm and accountability for work results.
Clarifying Expectations
Training and development programs can help organizations clarify for staff the
expectations they have of them. This effort promotes a performance-based culture in which
employees set attainable goals based on well-defined organizational principles.
Enhancing Employee Engagement
When employees know they have a supportive employer, they are more engaged and
enthusiastic about performing at a high level. Providing employees with training and
development opportunities shows an employer is willing to support its employees throughout
their careers.
