Training and Development Solutions

 

 

Training News from Contract Education at
Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

March 2016   

Training Frontline Workers Makes Good Business Sense

Companies looking for a competitive advantage should look no further than their own frontline employees. While business goals and objectives are usually set by management, it is primarily the frontline supervisors and workers who are responsible for executing them. If these workers lack the skills needed to implement organizational strategies and initiatives, the results can range from mediocre to catastrophic.

 

There are many reasons why organizations should provide skills upgrade training to their frontline workers, but among the most important are:

  • To address the critical skills shortage among current and potential employees
  • To retain employees and reduce the high cost of turnover
  • To strengthen organizational culture and loyalty

Skills Shortage

The current demand for skilled workers is outpacing the supply, and economic data indicates this trend is likely to continue and worsen. The unmet need for skilled workers means that many job roles remain unfilled. Recruiting and training new hires requires time and expense that can hinder the progress of companies in today's fast-paced and competitive business environment. Developing the current frontline workforce to step into higher skilled roles can be a more efficient and effective way to manage this talent pipeline issue.

 

Employee Retention

As cited in a recent Deloitte report, Talent Edge 2020, opportunity for career progression is the top retention incentive, while lack of career upward mobility is the primary driver of turnover. When asked what would keep them with their current employer, over half the employees surveyed cited opportunities for promotion/advancement over compensation, bonuses, benefits or any other reason, while almost a third cited lack of career progress as their top reason for looking for a new job. Training frontline workers provides opportunities for them to move into higher skilled roles, which fills job openings from within and furthers employee engagement and retention.

 

Culture and Loyalty

The opportunities for upgrading skills and the resulting prospects for workplace advancement have been shown to be primary motivators for workers not only to stay with their current employers, but also to feel more connected to the values and vision of the organization. Aligning the shared values and behaviors of employees with a company's vision and objectives can help create opportunities for greater success for both the employees and the company.

 

Employers who invest in their frontline workers by providing skills upgrade training will benefit from their investment through more effective internal talent management, increased employee retention and a stronger organizational culture.

 

Let Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District help your organization with customized, on-site training for frontline employees. To learn more about all your training options, contact MariAnn Fisher at 925.249.9372 or mfisher@clpccd.org.

"Senior business leaders have identified talent-driven innovation as the number one determinant of competitiveness. While finding and hiring key talent is a critical organizational competency, associated turnover costs can hurt an organization's bottom line. By comparison, training and developing existing employees may be one of the most effective ways to address the skills challenge and to develop a sustainable talent strategy."

 

A Guide To Upskilling America's Frontline Workers

Deloitte and The Aspen Institute

Preparing Frontline Workers to Step into a Lead Role

While your company may be recognizing the value of training frontline workers to step into leadership roles, you may be unsure of how to approach such an initiative. An effective program that prepares frontline workers to step into a lead role should incorporate a blend of technical and soft skills training that balances the operational and people management needs of your organization.

 

Elements of a successful frontline leadership training program to consider include:

 

Preparing to Step into a Lead Role

Transitioning from an individual contributor to a lead role requires developing the skills needed to lead others, including helping employees set goals, delegating work assignments, assessing job performance, giving feedback and motivating others. These responsibilities require developing an effective leadership style and using communication methods that engage and enroll others in the process.

 

Achieving Operational Excellence

Playing a lead role requires a deeper understanding of the company's daily operations and the bigger picture of how the various processes fit together. Training in process improvement techniques can help a new lead person identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies and offer solutions to help cut costs and reduce defects.

 

Solving Team Problems and Managing Conflict

Understanding the basic principles of solving problems as a team and managing conflict are critical for effective leadership at any level of the organization. The ability to deal with differences and keep the lines of communication open can be developed through training programs that encourage group interaction and incorporate techniques such as role-playing that allow participants to practice problem solving in a safe environment.

 

Other elements of frontline training will vary depending on the type of business and job requirements, but may include customer service skills, written communication and computer skills training, such as Word, Excel or specific company software programs.

 

Developing frontline worker training programs requires careful thought and planning, but studies show that preparing your frontline workers to move up the ranks is a worthwhile investment in the future success of your organization.

 

Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District can help your organization develop and deliver customized, on-site training for all levels of your organization, including frontline workers, supervisors and managers. To learn more about training options, contact MariAnn Fisher at 925.249.9372 or mfisher@clpccd.org.

About Contract Education
Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District delivers employee training, consulting and related support services to public and private sector organizations, such as manufacturing, healthcare, construction, technology and government agencies. We provide customized, on-site learning solutions that are innovative, practical and cost-effective, including leadership development, management and supervisory training, skill building programs, compliance training and curriculum development.


For more information about how Contract Education can help your organization develop leadership and employee capabilities to meet current and future challenges, call MariAnn Fisher at 925.249.9372 or email mfisher@clpccd.org.

Customized On-site Training Makes Learning Relevant and Real

 

One of the most effective ways to build employee skills that can be directly transferred to the job is to deliver customized on-site training, which creates synergy in the learning experience and encourages collaboration and communication to help promote a greater sense of teamwork and cooperation.

 

On-site skill-building programs can be tailored to address specific challenges and issues by providing content that is relevant to employees' real world experience. Courses focused on such topics as communication skills and teambuilding can incorporate interactive exercises, role-plays and case study discussions designed to develop problem-solving skills and help resolve core issues that limit productivity and job satisfaction.

 

Customized on-site training makes learning relevant and real, which not only brings an immediate improvement in job skills but also helps organizations and teams more effectively respond to future challenges.

 

To learn more about customized on-site training available from Contract Education at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, contact MariAnn Fisher at mfisher@clpccd.org or call 925.249.9372.

Contact Us
MariAnn Fisher
Economic Development and Contract Education
925.249.9372

Economic Development and Contract Education

Chabot-Las Positas Community College District

7600 Dublin Blvd., Suite 102 ● Dublin, CA 94568

925.249.9372 ● www.tdsolutions.org