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As a Training business, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive is: “why invest in people, they’ll just ask for more money and then probably leave?”. Our answer is always the: “if you don’t invest, they will definitely leave.”
Developing and retaining your key assets is not optional; in the same way as you wash your used cars on a sales forecourt, you accept the cost for cleaning, indeed you budget for maintenance and repairs of said used cars because you know they are more likely to sell and turn a profit if it is presented well, so why would you question the continual development of the people who are the face of your business and charged to deliver on your brand message?
Especially as we are working within an industry which is evolving at such a rapid pace. Taking a more strategic view of training will help bring about a culture of people development and retention across your workforce. Plan your training, look at alternative methods of delivery, measure effectiveness and include Staff Retention as one of your KPI’s.
Of course, training takes the form of many guises, Autotech Training is a true advocate of mentoring and in-house guidance and using successful practitioners will accelerate acceptance of new processes or methods of operating if it is sponsored by people of influence from within the workforce. We will come back to this later.
Understanding the principle that ‘qualification is for some; application is for all’ is important. We all want to progress, and while some are studious, many others are practical learners - the challenge is to cater for both as their careers develop.
Use the following stepped process to gain the most from all training:
- Prior to attendance, explain to the attendee what the benefit to their role will be by participating in the training event
- Give them set objectives to realise from the course
- De brief them as soon as they return
- Revisit the training material regular during the days and weeks post-attendance
- Ensure the attendee has the ability to share the newfound skills across their respective work colleagues and thus create a better collective way of working
This process applies to distance learning / e-modules / classroom events or remote guided learning.
The use of bite-sized learning is seen as most preferable, not just following the change in learning brought about because of the global pandemic, this approach has actually been the most preferred method of learning by institutions for many years now. We have long since realised that people learn at different rates, so it is our direct responsibility to offer solutions accordingly, and this is where bite-sized learning really has become so successful.
We all use YouTube, Daily motion or Vimeo to research our first ‘how’ thoughts or challenges, under 90 seconds and you have our full attention, 30 minutes or longer and our concentration will start to wane. Therefore we need to offer training solutions that are selectable, easy to digest, and ultimately provide the learner with the information necessary to check or improve their way of working.
This works and works well for all forms of material dissemination. Take a look at what you last needed to research and see how you chose to go about it. Almost certainly it will be to refer to a snapshot point of information, whereupon if success is achieved, you are most likely to revisit that medium again.
We take a lot of positivity from seeing the faces of delegates change as they relax and become more receptive to the messages we are conveying during a training course. The moment they realise the subject relates to them, that it’s going to help them do their job that bit better then half the battle is won, thereby making the whole learning experience a positive one, both for delegates and the trainer. Having a great instructor who understands this is hugely important.
A good trainer will incorporate short quizzes, use pre course work, reward positive comments throughout the training and ensure key messages are emphasised and summarised before departing.
Everyone should also be given a take-home guide towards the practical use of the learning material for the job function back at work.
All of which brings us back nicely to retaining good people. Using skilled training experts, be it from within the workforce or from a specialist training organisation, will ensure skills are retained and utilised within a business for a lot longer than if training was put low down on the priorities list.
Earlier on we referred to the importance of investing in people. If you have well trained and motivated staff delivering on the Customer promise, taking challenges in their stride, surrounded by likeminded colleagues always looking for a better way to deliver excellence, your investment will be repaid time and time again.
Every successful team has an ethos of togetherness, the team must have a great leader and we truly believe it is they who create loyalty and retention of the staff members.
As an IMI approved training provider, Autotech Training offers the highest quality MOT, Electric/Hybrid vehicle and technical training services to workshops and individuals in the UK's aftermarket.
In the last seven years, we have helped hundreds of garages and their staff to find the right courses to improve their productivity and skills. We provide flexible delivery methods at our Milton Keynes premises or your workshop and convenient ways to pay, we also value hands on learning too, it’s why we created a dedicated EV Training Suite within our head office, and we have recently become one of only five global owners of an Electude Connect - Electric training vehicle to support the delivery of our IMI accredited EV training courses.
Based on the Volkswagen e-up! the Electude Connect has been extensively modified to enable electrical diagnosis and fault finding without having to remove any parts of the vehicle.
