In-house training serves as income-producing benefit

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Employers realize that to recruit and retain quality employees, an attractive benefit package must be provided. How-ever, most businesses feel they receive the short end of the stick. Companies furnish the financial resources and workers acquire the benefits of increased pay, medical coverage and paid days off from work.|ret||ret||tab|

The direct advantage to corporations of offering traditional benefits is elusive. Accordingly, employee perks should in-clude items that definitely benefit the enterprise and not just the associates. In-house training is one option that allows the company to reap the advantages.|ret||ret||tab|

A significant cost savings is attained because managers will not have to pay the fees to attend public seminars at a hotel, university or college. An inordinate amount of time is saved since op-tions for training consist of evenings, Saturdays, and half-day or lunch-hour sessions. Human resource staff and up-per- and middle-level managers will save time as employees receive training as a group versus one-on-one. In addition, no work time is lost due to travel.|ret||ret||tab|

Managers will be able to handle any crisis that arises because they will be on-site. Mentoring is performed at a group level as long-term managers and hourly associates share war stories. |ret||ret||tab|

Breakthrough insights on nagging problems will be achieved as staff with different perspectives resolve problems. Fresh approaches will be unveiled as newly hired team members discuss experiences at previous places of employment. The liability from lawsuits is significantly reduced as supervisors learn about relevant legal issues. Change is ac-cepted more readily and corporate growth plans are supported and reached. Continuity of training is achieved with existing and newly hired or promoted managers, resulting in decreased liability and turnover, and increased morale and productivity.|ret||ret||tab|

The content will be customized to meet the unique needs of the organization. The ability to address the unique issues in the business and industry will make the supervisors better understand the relevance of the training to their particular needs. The policies, procedures and forms of the enterprise will be incorporated so managers understand how the seminar relates to their day-to-day job responsibilities.|ret||ret||tab|

Certain topics will be the most beneficial to employers: |ret||ret||tab|

Stress management training will di-minish crisis management and turnover.|ret||ret||tab|

Knowledge regarding proper conflict resolution techniques will build teams. |ret||ret||tab|

Learning how to hire the right people who fit in and stay will reduce personnel problems and recruiting/training costs, and increase quality, customer service and revenue.|ret||ret||tab|

Anti-harassment training will considerably negate harassment claims brought by associates and minimize the number of lawsuits that might potentially arise.|ret||ret||tab|

Performance appraisal insights will impact productivity and job satisfaction. |ret||ret||tab|

Discipline and termination education will reduce legal exposure and unemployment contribution rates.|ret||ret||tab|

During a recession, benefits need to be scrutinized more closely. The smart or-ganizations during the last recession increased usage of in-house training, and when the economy turned around, they were ahead of the competition. |ret||ret||tab|

In-house training is one perk that is definitely income producing, not revenue draining.|ret||ret||tab|

(Lynne Haggerman is president/ owner of Haggerman & Associates, a retained search, outplacement, in-house management training, and hu-man resources consulting firm.)[[In-content Ad]]