How to Train and Retain Employees

Human capital plays an essential role in the society that ensures that capital goods invested in business organization results in actual production and output to help the businesses make profits. Human resource, therefore, plays an important role that ensures that companies recruit and employ people that have high skills and competencies that would help the business or organizations realize their full potential in the short and long-term. Human resource professionals and scholars, thus, focus on developing strategies and applying techniques that would enhance production and output among the human capital in the different organizations that they are responsible and working for. In contemporary times, competition between and among business entities in the same industry or field as well as other industries has increased tremendously resulting in stiff competition and in particular during this times that the concept of globalization has dominated many issues in the world that include trade and business at both the local and international level. Human resource, therefore, has a significant role to play in an organization that would ensure that organization develops programs that are sustainable that not only enhance production and productivity but also encourages retention of human capital to save the organizations from costs of recruiting and selection of newer employees when employees leave. The human resource, consequently, has to rely upon and conduct thorough research about an organization and the human capital resource available to help the organizations realize the desired benefits as well as encourage and motivate employees that results in high morale and productivity. However, this paper presents different concepts related to employee retention and training and uses Walgreens business as an example that enhances the various ideas presented regarding employee training and retention. It also notes how training problems may be fixed as well as the cost benefits of training new employees and new hires. It concludes by a discussion of how lack of competitive pay affects employee retention. 

How Proper Employee Training Can Maintain Employee Retention 

Proper employee training that emphasizes professional growth has contributed positively in many aspects that result in employee retention. A training exercise in professional development makes employees more competitive and increase their output and production in an organization. It also increases the confidence level that employees have to handle and manage different tasks effectively resulting in an effective production that results in profits and other related benefits for the business organization (Finnegan, 2018). Moreover, training programs that business organization have motivates an employee that gives them confidence and trust. That their employer is not only after using them to make profits but also values them as employees, hence, results in a motivated workforce that shows high productivity and also develops mutual trust between employees and employers in the short and long-term that they have a relationship. Besides, employees more often compare and contrast between business organizations or different employers to note the benefits and programs that employers have that would enhance and improve their professional careers and growth. Therefore, if employees discover that only a few employers and businesses consider the option of providing professional training for their employees, they rank and value the organization that they work for among the best. It is because of such training programs that intend to improve the human capital competencies and, therefore, a business organization that provides such services have a higher chance of retaining the employees that they have. It, in turn, results in positive growth and development for the business that eliminates possible costs that could be spent on hiring new employees as a recruitment and selection is a difficult and expensive affair for business organizations. Training in internal leadership programs and management roles also motivates and give employees confidence and motivates them giving them hope and confidence to fill possible internal vacancies in leadership and management positions that would be available in a business organization. It, thus, motivates employees and discourages them from leaving the organizations that they work as it becomes only a matter of patience and time that the employees would rise to higher levels and positions that come with greater responsibilities as well as high rewards in terms of benefits that include higher wages and salaries (Cooper & Rothmann, 2013). Such a strategy, therefore, helps business organization enhance and encourage retention among employees to include even those contemplating to leave for other competitors. Scholars in the human resource, as well as researchers, often note the idea and concept of training employees need to be viewed from the aspects of investments and not an item of expenditure. It is because of the long-term benefits that a business organization realizes in the short and long-term that includes sustainability in production and output from the human capital that would raise the business organizational competitive advantage that it can use to maneuver in the competitive world that business organization in the current environment experience. Retention of employees for a longer period also creates a positive image and brand for a business organization as the public and prospective employees often take the perception that the business must be doing things correctly and professionally that resulted in the higher levels of retention of its employees. Prospects employees, therefore, would make efforts and try to join the companies and business organizations that show such characteristics that would enhance the attraction of different and unique talents from the outside. Such a positive image and brand also attracts other stakeholders that the business organizations deal with that include supplier, financial organizations and even government and administration that encourage employees to its people. The positive image created among other stakeholders would increase the chances that such an organization would attract more business for the organization and, therefore, the organization would realize its set business goals and objectives with ease. Additionally, scholars and researchers in human capital and human resource also note that training employees increase expertise within the company. It makes the business become above bar and competitiveness that sets examples that other competitors emulates and, consequently, giving it a competitive advantage. It, hence, encourages creativity and innovation on different approaches that such business or organization can use and improve its productive output as well as enhance its competitive advantage. Increased expertise within a company fills the gap that can exist that can prompt an organization to higher from outside. It, hence, indirectly helps business organizations save on possible costs that they would use in hiring newer employees to fill a skill gap that might exist within an organization and, therefore, an organization saves directly and indirectly as a result of the training process. It also prepares employees to take up additional roles that can be merged with the current roles that the employees have and, thus, it would directly save on costs that could have been used to fill the gap and acquire the skill (Maylett & Wride, 2017). It is also imperative to note that such merger of roles and duties as a result of enhanced skills acquired by employees has to be rewarded by appreciation and acknowledgment and in particular through a rising in salaries and wages that the employees in the new merged position would play. The merged skills set would not only help the business organization but also improve on the competencies that such worker or employees have resulted in higher output and production by the employees that directly and indirectly contribute to the organization or business success. The training that the employees get grooms future leaders in the organization. The training exposes the employees to newer responsibilities and skills required to fulfill specific tasks and positions in the organization and, therefore, it gives them an earlier opportunity and exposure that can help them reflect upon the positions of leadership as well as contemplate a possible strategies and changes that they can execute when they get the positions in future. It results in competent and confident leaders able to make bold decisions that can help organizations enhance its goals and objectives in the business world. Such leadership training also gives employees hope and confidence about the organization increasing their prospects of getting future positions in the business organization that directly and indirectly also lessens their chances of leaving the organization and, thus, enhances retention. It also assures employees of the organization's internal recruitment policies and practice because the organization invests in them through training and, therefore, gives them confidence and encourages them to produce and give their best as it motivates employees that strive to improve through results and output of their capabilities in leadership positions. Training also challenges and excites employees where they confront newer approaches and methods in the workplace through the training process eliminating boredom and monotony that can happen when there is continuous retention in processes and approaches in the workplace (Noe, 2016). It, hence, encourages employees to learn and acquire more regarding skills and competencies and, therefore, results in output and production that helps the employees, as well as the organization, realize its business goals and objectives with ease. 

Type of Training Provided By Walgreens and What It Entails 

Walgreens is an example of a business that shows that employee training can result in more benefits in the short and long-term for a business organization. It has developed training strategies and policies that have helped Walgreens realize its business goals and objectives with ease resulting in its rapid growth and expansion in all states in the US. Walgreens provides internal training among its employees that has supported its policy and strategy of internal recruitment that has made its employees highly motivated resulting in high turnover and production among employees in the short and long-term that the company has existed. The internal recruiting process adopted by Walgreens has made most of its leadership and management team recruited and promoted from within noted in all the stores that they have as well as district and regional leaders. The management and leadership that Walgreens boost of many years experience that they have with the company. Where almost all proudly affirm that they started in the lowest cadres and ranks that exists in the business and, therefore, they acquired vast years of experience with the company that has resulted in retention of the employees for a long time making Walgreens save on costs that would have been incurred in recruitment of new talents to fill the skills gaps that would have existed had they lost many of their employees. Moreover, besides the internal recruitment program that the business organization has, it also has an internal leadership mentorship and training program where potential employees with leadership qualities and competencies are considered and trained in leadership roles and responsibilities as a preparation of leadership positions that more often is filled internally because of the policies that they have developed over time. The internal recruitment policy that Walgreens has as well as the training programs that they have that not only increases the skills and competencies of employees but also prepares them for leadership positions has made the company earn recognition and win several awards in the business world that include the most active retail business in the world. Walgreens has adopted the policy of training for many years because they have realized that it provides more benefits in both the short-term and long-term. Therefore, provides prove and evidence that indeed employee training, directly and indirectly, contributes to employee retention that has brought sustainability concerning production by employees. As well high returns and output by Walgreen company for the many years that it has existed enabling the business to expand and grow its potential in the business world as well as help it realize its business goals and objectives with ease. 

The training that Walgreens has entails commitment in leadership and strategy not only from the human resource department but also its top leadership. They view the policy and procedure employed of employee training as an investment and not an item of expenditure that has enabled the company to realize its full potential. It results from employee retention that has increased the skills sets of employees, build confidence among employees, as well as better prepare them for leadership programs and position in the company that results in higher output and production by employees as well as the organization. Its policy can also be related to the facts that it recruited and expanded its workforce in recent times. It can be attributed to its system of employee training that attracted many applicants and interested parties to join the team in Walgreens and be part of an organization that has proved as a leader and created a positive image and brand enabling its expansion programs to reach many places and states in the US. Walgreens, hence, asserts that employee training encourages employee retention and, therefore, business organizations are encouraged to emulate the practice of Walgreens of employee training. 

How Training Problems That May Exist Within the Organization May Be Fixed 

Research has proved to be an important and critical process that enables individuals and organizations to find facts and evidence that they can use to expand their programs whether in the social, economic or political aspects. Research findings would show the areas that need to be fixed and, therefore, provide a sustainable solution to the possible challenges that an organization may experience resulting from training problems. The research did also point out the specific areas that the training needs to concentrate as well as the best training approaches that can be used to realize positive and intended goals with ease. Training as an approach and strategy that the human resource and management can use may experience problems that would provide rational and logical as solutions to ensure the issues are addressed objectively (Bush & Great, 2018). Different employee training exists and, therefore, finding the right training that needs to be delivered and to who among the employees would eliminate the possible problems that might arise such as delivering a wrong training to an audience or delivery of a right training to a wrong audience that would, hence, imply and mean a repeat of the exercise. Clearing the question, therefore, of what types of training that needs to be fixed as well as the person responsible for delivering the training. Such a problem may be fixed by stating categorically in advance who will be responsible and when as well as the people to be trained and on what they are trained. Enhanced communication internally and externally as well would make the entire likely problem of training wrong employees, as well as training on the wrong contents and subject, would be eliminated by simply enhanced communication in an organization. The human resource team must actively be involved in such processes in advance and provide all the necessary information required that would make the selected employees to be trained as well as design the content to be trained about. The person doing the training whether coming from internal employees and team or outsourced from the external options may be consultants and experts in different areas and the subject would also provide clarity and enhanced successful training programs and processes in an organization. The human resource would be responsible for determining and making such decisions, and it is expected that they take up active actions that would ensure that the right person is chosen whether internally or externally that would help the organization realize its full potential as far as the training goals and objectives are concerned. The person that develops the training materials, as well as the environment that the training will be conducted, must also be answered promptly. The training materials must be well designed and chosen that would enhance easy learning. The materials should include the employee’s side as well as the learning materials that not only help the instructor deliver the training effectively but also help learners learn with ease to enhance effective learning and successful training process. The learning manager, thus, needs to take actions and responsibility that would facilitate a successful training process for an organization. Standardization of training is a possibility that might bring training challenges resulting in different standards and outcomes that might not help an organization and contribute to successful training. Standardized training models, for example, would play an important role that would increase the chance of eliminating standardization problems that might happen in an organization leading to low standards that might impact an organization negatively. Another factor presented by scholars in the human resource and particularly related to training notes that cultural differences might be experienced as well (Maylett & Wride, 2017). They note that in contemporary times global workforce has resulted in organization recruiting personnel from all corners of the world that display different cultures and competencies. The training, therefore, for an organization that has people with diverse backgrounds and culture must choose an approach that would enhance easy understanding of the concepts and ideologies in the training modules. Use of more than one approach such as collaborative group learning as well as individual learning approaches would likely eliminate training difficulties that might arise as a result of the training. The use of multilingual training documents as well as those that incorporate diverse cultures and backgrounds might increase the chances of the successful training session as well as help eliminate possible barriers that might arise as a result of different cultural backgrounds in an organization that has a global workforce team. Generation gap might also present itself in the training programs and become a problem. It is where the people trained come from different age sets and groups that might cause misunderstandings in the training sessions and programs provided. Another likely problem includes employees showing lack of engagement and commitment because they do not see the relevance of the training as well as cannot understand the objective of the training. It can be addressed by developing an exciting portfolio that would help them better engaged as well as choosing varieties of options and strategies for training to eliminate boredom and monotony can lead to employees withdrawing from such training sessions and programs. Finally, getting feedback that shows course completion that helps the facilitators of the training program note whether the course objectives have been achieved or not is important (Cooper & Rothmann, 2013). The training feedback, thus, would note if the earlier set training objectives and outcomes have been achieved or not and if there is need for a change in the training methods and approach in the event the training outcomes presented initially have not been achieved. 

The Cost-Benefit of Training Existing Employees versus New Hires 

The subject of training new employees versus new hires continues to attract debates beyond the profession of human resource. However, the costs benefit analysis shows that increasing retention has more benefits and advantages to an organization in both the short and long-term. Employee turnover that shows how fast employers replace their employees can seriously disrupt organization productivity. Some costs are involved when employee turnover occurs in an organization. The first entails recruitment costs that an organization would have in trying to replace the employees that have left. Recruitment is affirmed as one of the most expensive processes in an organization that starts from advertisements to the end process that involves hiring the employee. It also consists in training the new employee about the organization's policies and approaches that guide the conduct and values that the new organization has (Finnegan, 2018). Secondly, the separation costs also impact the organization negatively. It entails costs such as insurance claims that depend on the nature and type of previous employment agreements that existed as well as times spent on processing termination and conducting exit interviews among others. It impacts the organization negatively. Lastly, productivity costs that have proved harder to quantify that include lost hours of unproductively while the position is vacant and the recruitment process is ongoing. Moreover, the time that the employee would take to adapt and start being productive that can reach the level of productivity posted by the previous employee. Also, the experience and expertise that include training that such employee results in losses as an investment made in training does not result in expected output for the organization. Organizations are, thus, encouraged to have lower employee turnover rates and help retention to realize the benefits that accrue from such actions and reduce the possible cost benefits that new hires bring in an organization. 

How the Lack of Competitive Pay Affects Employee Retention 

Lack of competitive pay would discourage employees as they would feel being overused and underpaid. It leads to a reduction in employee output and the business organization overall output and production. Competitive salary or pay enhances self-esteem and confidence that leads to higher production and output. Employee retention, hence, becomes difficult when there is a lack of competitive pay as discouraged and demoralized employees often start thinking and contemplating leaving and look for newer and greener pastures (Noe, 2016). It makes organization have difficulties in retaining employees as well as attracting more unique talents in the organization that ultimately leads to lower productivity by employees and the organization as a whole. 

In conclusion, employee training and retention has proved to be an essential part for organizations that results in more benefits in the short and long-term. Business organizations are encouraged to take approaches and options that enhance employee training that results in retention and saves on costs that they would incur in recruitment and replacing such employees. It, hence, should be viewed and taken as an investment and not viewed as expenditure by organizations and the leadership of the organization as well as the human resource team must develop strategies that can enhance training and retention. The right type of training also has to be made as noted in the Walgreens case. It is also important to fix training programs that organization might experience when conducting employee training objectively and professionally. The costs benefit of training new employees is expensive and, hence, policies should be developed that encourage employee retention that includes competitive pay and training among other options. 

References  

Bush, M. C., & Great, P. W. G. P. W. (2018). A Great Place to Work for All: Better for Business, Better for People, Better for the World . Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Incorporated. 

Cooper, C. & Rothmann, I. (2013). Organizational and Work Psychology: Topics in Applied Psychology . Routledge. 

Finnegan, R. (2018). Power of Stay Interviews for Engagement and Retention . S.L.: Ipg-Academic. 

Maylett, T., & Wride, M. (2017). The employee experience: How to attract talent, retain top performers, and drive results. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley 

Noe, R. A. (2016). Employee Training and Development . New York: McGraw-Hill Education.