The Training Management Resource at HR’s Fingertips

Recently the National Federation of Independent Business, a nonprofit that advocates for small and mid-sized organizations, affirmed that a strong HR function can “be a unique source of sustained competitive advantage” for smaller companies. Especially through its ability to effectively manage several key tasks.

Those key areas all relate to employees’ skills, with the first task focused on assessing current skillsets and working to ensure that they match what the company needs in order to grow and succeed. Obviously, this is a core function of training management. In large organizations, learning specialists usually oversee training and development programs. But HR professionals in small and mid-sized businesses know that those responsibilities are almost certain to fall on their shoulders.

A second HR task involves taking the information gleaned from your assessment of employees’ skills and identifying any gaps that exist between today’s levels of expertise and those the company will require in the months and years ahead. Creating a development plan for each employee is the objective for HR at this stage.

Finally, small and mid-sized companies look to HR to provide lasting value by making sure that every member of the workforce knows and understands that the company expects them to grow their skills and knowledge. This means that your workers need to know what capabilities you expect them to hone, and they need to know how the company will help them do that. At this point, HR’s chief task is communication – letting employees know where they stand, what they need to learn, and how company policies will support them.

When you’re the SMB HR pro management trusts to oversee skills assessment and training needs for the company’s employees, you know that managing that effort with spreadsheets and paper files just doesn’t cut it. With all the other duties that fill HR’s days, you can afford to spend only a portion of your time on training-related tasks, even though they are important keys to your employer’s ongoing success. That makes automation not only your friend, but also a strategic necessity.

If you’re already using BambooHR’s cloud-based HR management system, you’ll be delighted (or maybe relieved) to know that it also packs the features you need to accomplish your training management tasks. Your BambooHR system provides a secure, central location where you can document the skills and training every employee brings to your company.

When business needs dictate additional training, Bamboo gives you the flexibility you need to document it and to set due dates for training. You can add customized alerts, too, so that employees receive a timely heads up when classes are set to convene. Because employees can easily see the status of their training when they sign into the system, HR has the tool it needs to encourage workers to take responsibility for their learning needs and their careers. It’s a great way to help your SMB build a learning culture.

If you’re feeling the pressure to manage your SMB’s training needs more efficiently, talk to BambooHR about the many ways you can harness the power of your cloud-based HR management system to do double duty. Power up that training management system at your fingertips!