Staff Training Abandoned By Company Formation Sector

Job losses weren’t the only casualty of the recession; along with the threat of redundancy and pay freezes, many employees also had to sacrifice additional training and personnel development initiatives which were previously put in place by their employers.

Indeed, according to a recent survey conducted by the Forum of Small Business Owners, during the economic downturn over 77% of all small business owners asked, said they had abandoned staff training plans in order to concentrate on surviving the recession. And while many may think that this situation would have improved as the UK emerges from the recession, the survey revealed that ,in spite of the fact that market conditions have improved , over 40% of all businesses still have no plans to invest  in staff training.

Christopher Campbell, human resource and employment law advisor to the FSBO, comments; “As many employers went into survival mode during the recession, in an attempt to secure jobs and the future of their companies, staff training and development were sacrificed. However, making sure your staff is trained to deliver the best service possible has a tangible effect on your company and its future performance and therefore must not be neglected.”

“While funds may still be tight in many businesses, there are a number of free training schemes available.”

Alison Kelly, a recruitment advisor, also believes that investing in staff training is vital to ensure staff morale is high, she comments; “While many companies may still be operating pay freeze policies, it is vital that employers make their team aware of their importance to the future of their business. Investing in staff training is not only a cost effective way of doing this, it will also improve the way your company does business and help reduce staff turnover.”