Increasing staff morale and top tips for cost effective training

Home >
Knowledge centre >
Navigate through the recession (here)

Increasing staff morale and top tips for cost effective training

Invest in the only assets that can truly add value at every level - your staff

When it comes to staff training, it is important to be realistic – the current economic climate does not allow for vast training budgets or careless spending. However, as much as organisations need to be smart with their money, they need to be smart enough to empower the people that they have on board already.

Here are a few good reasons why:

Encouraging staff to undertake relevant training sends a very positive message that they are considered a valuable and worthwhile member of the team.
Up-skilling staff while in a recession is a smart strategy – it means that the team is ahead of the game and are able to take on new challenges now and into the future.
Staff undertaking training are more likely to stay put and apply their newfound skills, which benefits both the individual and the team as a whole.

Continuing training not only enables staff to focus their attention on skill gaps, but it sends a positive message that the organisation sees their contribution as a worthwhile investment.

A recent report published by Vodaphone UK investigates the danger of losing your most talented workers by scaling back training schemes. Assessing the impact of reorganising the workforce on employees’ skill base; the Vodafone Working Nation report offers further advice on managing costs and minimizing the risk of skill gaps. Visit the Working Nation website for further information.

Here are a few tips from the IIA on smart training:

Professional qualifications are worth their weight in gold

Having a qualified internal audit function who are equipped to tackle emerging issues, act as the cornerstone of corporate governance, and provide quality assurance for senior management is vital. Qualifications can be completed over a number of sittings and so it is possible to pay for them one module at a time. Often the cost of a single module is less than a training course; it is worth taking the time to investigate your options.

Provide employees with the skills to adapt to new changes, take on new responsibilities and quickly grasp new ideas through relevant and skill based training courses.

If your budget doesn’t allow for professional qualifications, take the time to really pay attention to your employees training needs. Use the IIA CPD tool online to assess their strengths and weaknesses and determine what specialist training courses will support them effectively. If you can only afford to do one, ensure it is going to be tackling the right issues.

Encourage staff to conduct a de-brief after their training session for the rest of the team

A different view on a business challenge can be a direct benefit for the team and the organisation as a whole.

Asking the person to report back to the team on training means that the ideas are shared with the whole team. This also requires the person who has undertaken the course to be really clear on what they have learned. This will ensure that the training session is not wasted.

Take advantage of existing offers

Membership of a professional body often means discounts on training courses. Did you know that with IIA membership you receive £100 discount on training courses? Taking advantage of existing offers can really make all difference.

Consider in-house training

The Institute’s in-house training service offers all of the benefits of external training, tailored to your specific needs. It provides you with a flexible and cost effective approach to learning where we bring the experts to you.

It is also worth getting in touch with local organisations and sharing in-house training with them. This can reduce costs and make quality training more affordable.

After all, getting together with peers encourages debate, shared learning and allows employees to discover more about what they know and what they are truly capable of.

Go online!

There is an abundance of information available online and organisations are increasingly taking their benefits and services online – escalating accessibility and reducing cost! On the IIA website alone, we offer a resource library full of technical guidance, an archive of the specialist publication Internal Auditing and discussion forums – ideal for sharing knowledge.

Online forums, conference calls and webinars are flexible, easy to use, and the quality of the training is constantly improving.

As an example, the IIA recently participated in an ACCA Conference. They hosted a traditional conference which was run concurrently with a virtual conference. Over 300 delegates participated in the virtual conference from around the globe – three times’ as many as those who attended the actual conference.

Take the time to share ideas and experiences internally

Training doesn’t necessarily always have to be from an external source - it is great to look internally for training experiences. Senior managers have a wealth of knowledge that junior staff would benefit from acquiring and applying - even in a half an hour presentation. Taking the time to combine knowledge and share ideas will also be surprisingly rewarding for the people presenting too.

You are: