Why do employees need training?

People are a driving force in every organization. In order to perform at their best, staff need development opportunities to not only teach them to perform their assigned duties, but also to educate them on new and changing techniques, programs, and services. Sending new and current team members to skill-specific seminars and enrolling them in appropriate online courses, ensures the teaching of specific and necessary skills required to perform to the best of their abilities.

Attending state, regional, and national conferences that focus on capacity building can value to the organization, to team members and to their co-workers. Participating in an organizational mentoring program can also educate new employees on workplace and cultural issues specific to their agency and role.

Benefits of Training:

  • Improved staff moral: Training increases security and confidence which ensures job satisfaction. The more satisfied an employee is, the greater their morale. Increased morale lowers absenteeism and staff turnover which contributes to organizational success.
  • Management reduction: A well trained team member will be well acquainted with their job and will need less management. This will lead to better time management to focus energy and efforts elsewhere.
  • Productive output: Training improves efficiency and productivity of the staff. Well trained staff will show quantity and quality work. Resources are valuable and properly trained staff will allow agencies to extend those resources.

Encouragements such as uplifting and fun activities, presenting notes to team members on a job well done—particularly when a team member sees another solving a challenging customer problem—and other recognition of good employee performance also boosts morale and increases employee job satisfaction. Other rewards including management nominated customer service rewards, which could include time off, snack items, dress-down days, or even a pizza party, are confidence builders.

Staff development can change attitudes and motivate even some challenging employees to increase their service to customers. In high-stress environments, a little training and recognition can go a long way.

If your Community Action Agency would like to be equipped to effect change in your area by taking part in OACAA’s or OCATO’s training opportunities, contact Josh Summer at josh@oacaa.org  to check for availability. OACAA and OCATO also offer state wide conferences, regional, on-site, and family development trainings. Click here to learn more.

Lorie has been with OACAA since November of 2004. She is a certified trainer in the Prep® Within My Reach curriculum, and Love’s Cradle® curriculum, Family Development Specialist and Family Development Specialist Trainer, and she is a certified Personal Financial Teacher. She is directly responsible for managing all of OACAA’s Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) and other funded programs.