Low-cost training for your employees is possible

KUWAIT: In an ever-changing job market, it is essential to your company’s growth and success to not only hire top talent, but also retain your best employees and cultivate their skills. According to a recent survey by Bayt.com on career development in the Middle East, career development is important to 85 percent of professionals in the Middle East region, and the great majority (82 percent) would leave their current company for better training opportunities.

Fortunately, there are many ways you can ensure that you are providing your employees with a satisfying and effective training while keeping costs to a minimum. Here are 5 ideas from the career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading job site:

1. Mentorship programs

The most basic and most used training method is the mentorship method. Mentorship includes pairing up employees who can learn from each other and can hold one another accountable for success. Junior employees can gain knowledge by shadowing more senior employees in the company, while senior employees can get unbiased feedback and new perspectives from fresh graduates and other junior-level employees. By allowing employees to train each other, not only are you nurturing learning within the company, but are also promoting teamwork and camaraderie among employees, which will eventually reflect positively on your company.

2. Job rotation

Job rotation is one of the most effective training methods. It widens employee exposure and allows them to gain a more complete understanding of the company and how it is run. Give your employees new roles and responsibilities, have them shadow someone else for a few days, then put them up to the challenge to perform the job themselves. Job rotation helps your employees to improve their efficiency and that of their organization.

4. Trainers from within the company

Every company has star employees. That person who not only can do their job well, but also has great communication skills and is knowledgeable, patient, and liked by everyone. So why not utilize the talent you already have to everyone’s benefits? Send your top employees to conferences, seminars and courses, and then allow them to use that newly-acquired knowledge to train their colleagues in form of lectures, presentations or group discussions. 40 percent of respondents believe that company training by internal teams is the most effective training method.

5. Games

Are you looking for ways to enrich your employee’s soft skills, such as their teamwork skills, creative thinking and innovation, communication or even leadership skills? Try introducing these skills in the form of office games and challenges. Split employees into groups, and then give them challenges to complete, with the promise of a reward to the winning team. The challenges can be anything from presenting business case studies, to playing games that require critical thinking. The increased popularity and usage of gaming techniques can be attributed to the spirit of competition; it not only makes learning more enjoyable, but also increases retention.

About Bayt.com: Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East with more than 40,000 employers and over 23,500,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region.