Why do companies invest in employee training? Essay

Companies invest a lot of time and energy looking for the right individuals to fill necessary positions. These individuals come into the company with the expected knowledge and skills that was required of them to apply for the position. This does not necessarily mean the individuals are prepared to begin working a specific position without any formal training. This is where the company must utilize all resources available to teach the individuals on how to properly perform their duties as well as gives them the tools to grow in their jobs. Studies show that companies that invest in training not only see increase in employee performance but also see greater employee retention (Vlachos). The difference between a company that provides effective training or poor training is dependent on the quality of the methods used by the company to educate the individuals. If a company is not willing to train their employees then they will see continued decrease in job satisfaction (Vlachos). A effective training method in a company can determine many factors of the company including retention of employees and job satisfaction. Some companies place greater weight on the importance of training personnel while others use up employees and when the employee gets burned out or dissatisfied they leave putting the company in the posting of having to find another person to fill that role.

Companies such as Ford work to have their employees grow not only in their current positions but also provide them learning opportunities that increase their exposure to leadership positions (Ford Leadership Development). In addition to spelling out the goals of their program, including team effectiveness, developing others, and self insight, they also express the different methods that this training is accomplished. Companies like SpaceX operate with less of a focus on the development of employees and instead focus almost solely on the companies well being (Quora). The danger of this is employees can become frustrated with the lack of career development and are more likely to leave to company for more welcoming work environments.

A company that wants to be successful must look after the individuals who will be the muscle of the company helping it move along. In order to have strong company muscle the company must invest an appropriate amount of time into training employees to not only be successful for their current position but also to be able to adapt and grow. When a company hires an employee they are responsible to make sure the individual is ready to execute their duties. A company with a successful training program maintains the ability to adapt to the learning needs of its employees. Employees do not all learn material in the same way and it is on the company, if they want to be successful, to cater to the employee who the company is essentially investing in when they hire them. If employees are given the tools to grow and develop then those skills will help to better the company as a whole.