Who in their right mind would actually spend money on computer training right now in this economy of woes, where at every turn it appears we are sinking lower and lower into a morass of despair? Good question!
The answer is, those businesses who value survival, and who plan to not only survive but thrive in the months ahead.
Let's investigate some of the top reasons why now may in fact be the best time to invest in quality computer training.
#1: Keep Your Top People In Top Shape
The number one reason to invest in computer training in a bad economy is so that you don't lose your investment in your top people. The success or failure of your business depends on these key players, and when their skill-sets begins to stagnate, you feel it in the bottom line. The absolute best reason to continue training your top workers is to ensure you continue to get top performance--an even more important factor in troubled times!
#2: Get Killer Deals!
With the economy as bad as it is these days, you can obtain high quality training for even less. Training companies are hurting too, so they are more than willing to work with you to get you even better deals than in a thriving economy. It's win-win.
#3: Hit the Ground Running!
If you aren't regularly investing in your people, when the economy does turn around you will be left with workers with a stale skill-set. Instead of hitting the ground running and taking advantage of new opportunities when they arise, you will be backpedalling and trying desperately to get people up to snuff in a hurry.
#4: Hang Onto Your People!
Top workers know what they are worth. When they see you cutting back on your investment in them, they feel it and may not perform at the same level as they used to do. Worse yet, they may be looking for firms that actively demonstrate that they value and appreciate them, and you could even end up losing them.
What about the rest of the workforce?
Does the rest of your workforce deserve your investment in training them as well?
Well, that depends on whether you want to succeed or not! I realize that sounds like a flippant answer, and I understand the necessity for financial triage. Sometimes you will spend your training dollars only on your top performers. However, your top performers do not comprise the majority of your workforce. In fact you probably have the classic ratio of 80% of your business is accomplished by 20% of your workforce, so it makes sense to invest in your top 20%. But what about the other 80%?
It stands to reason that this 80% is even more needy of training and development than the top 20%. Why these workers comprise the 80% to begin with is the subject of another discussion, but suffice it to say there are myriad reasons why the bulk of your workforce are not top performers. So don't let lack of skills be one of them.
The bulk of your workers, more than ever, need attention if they are to perform to capacity. And as you invest in them, some of them will become your next top-performers as well.
When it comes down to the bottom line, both logically and financially, it only makes sense to continue to invest in your workforce. In the end you will have a more productive, happy group, better able to help you weather the financial storms brewing on Wall Street. And you will be better prepared to take advantage of existing business, and business around the corner.
Let me know your thoughts, opinions, and experiences too. I welcome your comments. You may wish to read part 2 of this series, To Train or Not To Train During a Recession.
Until next time, we'll solve each problem Bit by Bit.
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