t2 business solutions blog

Success of Business Could Lie With Training

According to an article on the ILM website, studies have shown that it is vital for businesses to offer adequate training to employees. The Learning and Skills Council have advised that training can improve not only the productivity and efficiency of workers, but also staff retention rates.

Jaine Clarke, director of communications at the Learning and Skills Council, claimed that "progressive" companies are able to understand the importance of training staff, which can help them to outstrip their rivals in the marketplace and survive economic difficulties.

"Training is key if businesses are to prosper and grow - whatever the economic circumstances," she remarked.

Statistics from Evaluation of Train to Gain showed that 43% of workers received pay rises as a result of training, while 42% of employers claimed it boosted their productivity and profitability, Ms Clarke added.

Learning strategy director Kevin Lowell wrote for Personnel Today last month that companies should not cut back on their training budgets as a result of the credit crunch.

Lack of Training in UK Workers

An interesting article on ILM explains how more than three quarters of UK workers have been asked to undertake tasks which they have not been trained for.

A new survey conducted by SkillSoft found 76% of respondents felt they should have been better prepared before being assigned certain elements of their job.

The survey showed that the most common element people were asked to undertake without proper training was managing people, followed by project management and leadership.

It also found that line managers, supervisors and senior managers are considered to be those most in need of training.

t2 business solutions offers a variety of training, ranging from Modern Apprenticeships to tailored training and one-day open courses. t2's areas of training included management, sales, customer service, IT, personal effectiveness and more. For more information visit t2's website.

Managers Needs Training to Deal With Stress

An interesting article on the ILM website explains how managers need to be trained properly to deal with stress issues.

According to research by Chiumento, only 16% of employees take a proper lunch break due to workplace pressures. A spokesperson for the International Stress Management Association has warned that firms could face problems if such issues are not dealt with properly.

It has been said that managers should take the time to engage with employees and ask them what they feel can be done about the situation. According to the Stress Management Society, the condition affects one-fifth of the working population and costs UK industry £3.7 billion each year.

t2 business solutions offers a Managing Stress training course which highlights stress issues and how to resolve them. For more information visit t2's website.

Interview Skills Training Needed for Line Managers

An article on Training Zone explains how a new report has revealed that only 30% of line managers receive any kind of interview training, but the majority want to contribute to the recruitment process.

The report, collated by SHL, found that despite line managers showing a desire to become involved in selection interviews to ensure candidates are the right fit, they lack the necessary skills and training.

It shows that 35% of line managers never see the results of any psychometric testing carried out during the selection process and of those who do see the results only half have received the necessary training to allow them to fully understand them.

"It is crucial that line managers meet and assess prospective members of their team, in order to ensure that they have the correct competencies and personal fit for the role. However, our research has shown that this isn’t happening enough and when it does, managers have rarely had any training or guidance on interviewing effectively," said Claire Little of SHL.

"Being well prepared for an interview raises the interviewer’s confidence and is more likely to result in a successful recruitment process," she added.

t2 business solutions offers tailored training in Essential Interview Skills and Recruitment and Selection, which allows delegates to Prepare for and conduct a range of interviews in the workplace including selection, exit and appraisal. The courses include a range of techniques and information on how to use information effectively. For more information, visit t2's website.

Managers Failing Expectations

An interesting article on the ILM website explains how Managers across Europe are failing to meet their employee's expectations.

The Krauthammer Observatory 2008 report reveals that  workers have clearly defined expectations of what their managers should be doing, but there are gaps between this and what actually happens.

It found that 91% of staff think their managers should help them analyse work difficulties, however, only 47% of them said that this actually happens. Three-quarters of employees also wanted their managers to "create the right context" before implementing change in the workplace, but just one-third found this was the case.

A survey by Learndirect Business also found that many employees feel they have skills which could be going to waste as managers have not asked about them.

If your management team may be falling behind and not meeting the expectations of their employees, why not look into some training for them? Management training is fundamental in the development in staff, and t2 business solutions can tackle any specific issues to tailor training to your organisation.

There are also a number of management open courses available to the public. For more information, visit t2's open course calendar.

Millions Sue Employers Over Health and Safety

An article on ILM explains how approx. 6 million people have sued their employers due to illness or injury obtained from the workplace.

The study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of insurance firm RSA, reveals that 11.8 million have suffered health issues because of work and that more than half of these have sued their firm over the issue. A further third had gone to their trade union over the matter and one in ten made a complaint to their line manager.

The most common injuries were back-related problems which accounted for more than half of the cases.

If you are concerned about the health and safety in your business why not look to have a health and safety tailored training course created specifically for your organisation and delivered at a venue of your choice by t2 business solutions' experienced trainers.

Importance of Workbased Learning Overlooked

According to an interesting article on Training Zone, chief executive of the Edge Foundation, Andy Powell, thinks the importance of work-based learning is being overlooked.

In a recent survey held by workplace learning consultancy HE@Work, findings show that 72% of employees believe they haven’t yet reached their full potential at work and 80% would actively welcome opportunities to develop professionally at work.

Andy Powell said: “The importance of workplace learning has been overlooked for too long. Businesses contain a wealth of knowledge and expertise and there is no reason why the workplace cannot become the preferred location.

“Establishing organisations as validated locations of higher-level learning would reinforce the brand names of the businesses concerned and help to make them employers of choice – a critical differentiation in the war for talent.”

t2 business solutions offers a variety of work-based learning solutions. For more information, visit the t2 website.

Training Needed To Motivate Employees

An article on Training Zone explains how a recent independent survey shows that two out of three UK workers whose employers do not contribute to their skills training are unmotivated and have little desire to progress.

The survey, commissioned by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), surveyed over 1,000 individuals to ascertain how much impact training has on staff from a motivational point of view.

Results revealed that 68% considered themselves to be in a job and not a career, and over half claimed they were, at most, only motivated occasionally. In addition, nearly a quarter stated that they work to a level that 'gets them by' and a further 7% admitted they are not motivated whatsoever.

In contrast, 64% of those who received significant training (in-house or by an external organisation) funded at least in part by their employer, said that they were mostly either 'motivated' or 'exceptionally motivated'.

To keep your staff motivated, why not look to organise some training for them? It may be possible to get fully funded vocational training programmes, or you could organise some tailored training specifically for them. Visit t2 business solutions for more information on what is available in your area.

Problems Caused Through Slow Response Times

An article on the ILM website explains how thousand of pounds are being lost due to slow response times to customer enquiries.

The 2008 Bellwether survey of the way UK firms compete for business found that putting off dealing with telephone calls and emails for more 30 minutes can now increase the risk of losing business, which is an hour and a half increase from last years results.

It has also been shown that slow response times can cost each business an average of £18,840 in lost business. It has also been commented that as email is instant, there is no reason that people should not get a reply straight away, even to say that the enquiry is being dealt with.

This could be a customer service issue within an organisation and could be addressed with some directed training. t2 business solutions offers a variety of training including a one-day open course on Essentials of Customer Service, which is coming up on 29th July for only £95pp.

£300m a year for RSI

An article on ILM explains that Microsoft has recently completed a survey showing that two-thirds of workers are now affected by repetitive strain injury, which is costing firms over £300m per year.

A survey of 1,000 office workers found that 68% suffer from aches and pains in their back, shoulders and wrists, which can be put down to the growing number of mobile workers, with devices such as laptops and smart phones.

It has been suggested that the 30% rise in RSI can be put down to firms not giving enough care and attention to employees wellbeing.

t2 business solutions offers tailored training in Health and Safety for employees, directors, office workers and more. This training can be completely catered to any situation and can include proper use of equipment, manual handling and more specific needs such as Corporate Manslaughter and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.

If your business is losing out due to RSI or other work-related injuries, visit t2's website to find out more about how to better the Health and Safety regulations in your organisation.