How To Choose The Right Learning Academy For Your Team

We recently organized an engaging team-building event for one of our clients, aimed at fostering collaboration, strengthening team bonds, and highlighting the value chain across departments. The event successfully met all objectives and exceeded client expectations. Following this success, the client’s management team considered replicating the event for their senior managers with a focus on strategy. However, their insightful HR director stepped in, rightly pointing out that such an event wouldn’t meet the unique objectives for senior leadership. She was absolutely correct—there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to development needs.

 

You can be a CEO, managing director, or a department head and think your employees could benefit from some training. But how do you choose the right program that aligns with your business goals while also addressing your team's skill gaps? Whether you are looking to enhance technical proficiency or build soft skills, a well-chosen training program can have a profound impact on performance, engagement, and overall company success.

 

 Why Training Matters

Investing in employee development is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. According to LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company if it invested in their career development. Additionally, businesses that offer comprehensive training programs experience a 218% higher income per employee compared to companies without formal training.

However, it’s essential to ensure that the training you provide is relevant and targeted. A mismatch between training content and team needs can lead to wasted resources and disengagement.

 

Understanding the Balance: Technical vs. Behavioral Training

When planning a training program, it's important to split between two broad categories of learning:

1. Technical Training

This is about the hard skills specific to your industry or job roles. For instance, if you’re in the banking sector, this could involve training in compliance, financial software, or data analysis. In manufacturing or tech, it might focus on engineering tools, coding languages, or systems architecture.

 

When to choose technical training:

• If your team is struggling with specific tools or technologies.

• When you're introducing new software, processes, or methodologies.

• To keep employees up to date with industry standards and certifications.

A survey by PwC found that 77% of CEOs globally see the availability of key technical skills as a top business threat. Keeping your team equipped with the right skills is essential to mitigate this risk.

2. Behavioral (Soft Skills) Training

These are skills related to emotional intelligence, communication, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. In today's work environment, collaboration and adaptability are just as critical as technical expertise. According to a 2022 study by LinkedIn, 89% of recruiters say when a hire doesn't work out, it usually comes down to a lack of soft skills.

 

 When to choose behavioral training:

•  If you observe communication breakdowns or leadership challenges.

•  When team collaboration and innovation need improvement.

•  To foster a culture of empathy, adaptability, and resilience.

Data from Deloitte suggests that 90% of organizations believe that soft skills are critical to fostering leadership and retention, especially in hybrid and remote work settings.

 

How to Determine Your Team’s Training Needs

Before deciding which type of training to invest in, conduct a skills gap analysis. Here’s how you can split your approach:

1. Assessment Tools

Use surveys, performance reviews, or feedback sessions to gauge where your team stands in both technical and behavioral areas. You might find that one department needs a technical upgrade while another requires more team-building or leadership skills.

2. Collaborate with Department Heads

Each department may have different needs. For example, your sales team might need training on advanced negotiation techniques, while your IT department might benefit from a refresher on cybersecurity protocols.

3. Prioritize Based on Business Goals

If your company is rolling out a new software tool or expanding into new markets, technical training should take priority. On the other hand, if you're looking to improve customer service, productivity, or leadership within teams, behavioral training will likely be more impactful.

 

Take the example of a financial services company aiming to enhance both its back-end operations and customer service. The company split its training focus as follows:

• 60% Technical Training: Focused on upgrading employees’ knowledge of financial modeling software and regulatory compliance updates.

• 40% Behavioral Training: Dedicated to improving communication between teams, enhancing client relationship management, and developing leadership skills among middle managers.

 

This approach resulted in a 15% increase in overall team productivity and a 20% improvement in customer satisfaction scores within six months.

 

The key to selecting the right training program for your team lies in balancing technical expertise with behavioral competencies. An ideal mix ensures that your employees not only excel in their job roles but also contribute positively to your company’s culture and adaptability. By taking the time to understand your team's specific needs and aligning them with broader business goals, you can create a powerful, targeted development strategy that drives results.

 

Investing in both technical and soft skills training is not only a way to future-proof your organization but also an investment in your team's long-term engagement and growth.

 

To know more, contact us at: info@demtus.com