Developing talent & ability

It’s simple to see training as a tick box exercise; set aside a certain amount in the budget for staff development, make sure people attend courses and get them to fill in a feedback form and the job’s done. In reality effective training is about more than a day out of the usual routine. It should make people feel valued, increase their job satisfaction and ultimately assist them to achieve their potential.

The opportunity to grow and develop personally as well as professionally is central to many people’s job satisfaction and general wellbeing; no one likes to feel they are stuck in a dead end job. As an employer it’s all too easy to view employees as commodities, but helping them achieve their potential brings emotional and financial rewards, including better staff retention and reduced recruitment costs.  

Enhancing well-being through training

Training is a crucial component in job satisfaction. In a sector like cleaning, it is essential to offer the correct type so that your workforce has the necessary skills to do their job safely and effectively. Ensuring everyone is fully up to date on the correct use of specialist equipment and materials is also essential and the training must be delivered by industry-recognised, accredited bodies, such as the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc). 

Depending on the size of company, in-house training – bespoke to your own organisation – should also be considered. When you develop courses that reflect your company’s values and aims they can help to gain competitive advantage and also ensure you address any issues specific to your organisation. At Facilicom everyone has the opportunity to go on our ‘Hostmanship’ course. The training on ‘the art of making people feel welcome’ helps us to embed customer service as part of everybody’s everyday role. It helps to instil people skills in our operatives, giving them the confidence to communicate with colleagues and clients, and another way to develop their potential.

The voice of experience

Another important training option is the use of mentoring. This is usually less formal, but it demonstrates that people are respected and being treated as an individual. The relationship often benefits both parties as mentors can also learn from the person they mentor.

A mentoring relationship may begin when someone first joins an organisation or when they start a new role within their existing company. It is a mentor’s role to ensure that the employee has someone to help them with any challenges they face, including unfamiliar names, procedures, policies and buildings. The relationship can also be used for personal development, helping to identify specific skills and interests, and providing clear direction when it comes to their future development. Businesses that use mentoring have found it useful for succession planning, as mentors can identify people who are ready to make a step up to new roles and can help the individual prepare.  

An integral part of the business

The benefits of making training an integral part of the business, and supporting and encouraging employees to reach their full potential, are widespread for the individual and the organisation they work for. By providing the right sort of training and the right environment to implement the learning from that training you have strong foundations for a sustainable business.