The role of the training manager is changing radically. As well as overseeing the development of skills within the company, they also play an important role in retaining employees. This is all the more crucial now that finding new talent is becoming increasingly complex. In fact, 41 % of companies will be finding it difficult to recruit in 2024, according to a study carried out by the European Commission. Banque de France study. It is therefore essential to develop existing skills within the company, and above all not to lose them. This is the conviction of Philippe Argouges, an expert in training engineering and needs analysis.
To achieve this, the training manager can deploy different strategies:
- marketing
- continuous improvement
- learning culture
1 / The marketing approach for training managers
It's not enough just to offer the best products, you also need to get the word out.
Marketing to sell an activity that ultimately costs the company money? It may sound strange. But promoting training is part of the training manager's role. Your role. And it's becoming increasingly useful.
Everyone, from employees to managers to senior management, needs to be convinced of the importance of training. And the best way to do that is to communicate about it.
One of the positive effects of this in-house marketing is to combating absenteeism from training. Absenteeism is on the increase these days. In distance learning, absenteeism can be up to three times higher than in face-to-face training. Learners may think that their absence is less serious, or that they are not taking someone else's place. The fact remains that absenteeism can be as high as 30 % in some companies, which is enormous. This automatically increases the training budget spent per employee by 30 %.
The other indisputable benefit concerns you more. The better known the training, the better known its processes. Enrolments, cancellations, needs analysis... all these activities in which employees are involved go more smoothly.
Example of a poster:
But how do you go about implementing this marketing approach? The most effective way is to regular communication. This communication can take a variety of forms: internal newsletter, blog, website, etc. All means are possible, as long as they are part of your company's culture.
Best practice:
We could imagine a communication to all employees at the beginning of the year to announce the roll-out of the plan. Then another in September or October on the needs analysis. In addition, in May or November, focus on particularly representative actions.
2/ The training manager at the heart of a continuous improvement approach
Effective training is training that resolves the problems that led to its implementation.
Everyone measures learner satisfaction at the end of a course. This is nothing new. But is it enough to say whether a course has been effective or not? Nowadays, we also have to measure the knowledge acquired, but on the spot, this proves nothing.
The training manager should try to measure the effects of the training in the context of the company: was it useful, did it contribute something? However, cold surveys giving this kind of feedback often have a low response rate. A response rate of 30 % is good enough. So how can we increase this rate? There are a few solutions. The vast majority of companies set up annual appraisal interviews. Many take the opportunity to ask employees whether the training they have received has been useful. But these results are not often used.
If nothing is done with this feedback, a lot of time is wasted. It is essential to use this data, and above all to show that we are using it. This type of survey must have one objective: continuous improvement of our training offer. So we need to collect the responses, analyse them and adapt our offering accordingly.
And explain it to everyone. Because it's by showing that you use the results of these surveys that you'll increase return rates.
Example:
For example, at a major French bank, cold surveys were used to change the training offered to managers. The curriculum was reduced from 5 compulsory courses to 2, which were better targeted. The result: fewer last-minute cancellations and higher attendance.
In short, you need to know how to challenge yourself, based on feedback from learners.
3/ The training manager, the architect of a learning culture
If I'm forced to learn, I forget. If I choose, I retain.
The " reflex I need skills, I choose training "It is important that everyone - senior management, management and employees - shares this commitment.
Needs analysis approaches often lead to managers' requests being given priority. They are the ones who, a prioriThey are aware of their organisation's medium-term needs. And training must be geared to these needs. And yet, by taking greater account of employees' desires, we help to motivate them.
The company has a tool for this: the professional interview. A properly conducted interview allows the employee to express his or her wishes. The results of these interviews can then be taken into account in the development of training plans... as long as they are communicated to the training manager.
But you can't create a learning culture overnight. You have to get employees into the habit of learning, so that they understand that training is for them, and that it helps them to develop. Once again, a virtuous circle can be established. The more the desired training courses are validated by the company, the more employees will express desires in line with their role and their job.
Encouraging a learning culture: what are the benefits for the company and the training manager?
Employees who have a stake in their own career development are more motivated. If the company proves that it believes in them, they are more committed and less likely to look elsewhere. What's more, they communicate positively about their company, making recruitment easier. Microsoft and Google, for example, have understood this. These large companies have been included in the Great Place to Work surveys for a long time. And training is one of the important indicators in these surveys, according to Teamupp (HR and QHCT services agency).
Another tool is the personal training account (CPF). Of course, the CPF can be chosen by the employee. But it is possible to set up Co-constructed CPFs. The employee uses his or her CPF, the company makes a contribution (which avoids the remaining costs) or authorises training during working hours. This makes it possible to finance training over and above the allocated budget.
Ultimately, all these strategies rely on broader communication by the training manager. This is a major skill that needs to be developed or strengthened. And why not enlist the help of specialists? If your organisation has a communications department, it can advise you on setting up regular communications.
