On Boarding and Maintaining

As some companies are seeing signs of recovery in their business, they are turning back to hiring as well as working to retain the people they need. I was talking with a successful entrepreneur in Dallas on this topic – that of bringing in great people and keeping those you need. His words “Training is one of the most important investments business owners can make”, caught my ear. Here are a few excerpts from our call:

1. Long term employees that don’t receive regular training from qualified trainers, actually decrees in ability over time and may go down in IQ (from studies he has conducted in him company).

2. Employees that receive good training and take it seriously grow in their value to the organization, are therefore worth more and receive greater raises, which in turn keep them from going out to seek other employment. (In Stephen Covey’s words – WIN/WIN)

3. Those who receive no training, yet stay, become a liability over time.

4. Regular training programs keep people interested in learning and stimulate creativity. Creativity brings forth invention which is at the heart of value-differentiation.

5. Training comes from classes, books, and mentors. It’s the greatest investment a company can make in it’s people.

If your people are not worth investing in, fire them and hire new ones, then begin training.