June 17, 2022

What’s the Difference Between Employee Training and Development?

Sam Caucci

In a company, employee training and development goes hand-in-hand but they aren’t the same! In simpler terms, training is a short-term learning process, whereas employee development adds to lifelong learning. Besides that, both add extensively to increased sales, employee retention, and smooth onboarding.

With growing market competition, the paradigm shift in technology, and continuous innovations, companies are optimizing training processes. Employee training and development play a vital role in that, as both add value to companies and employees with their distinguished features.

We’ll explore below how you can balance these two important aspects of success and how they help workforces learn rapidly and continually.

Training Versus Development?

Training	Development
Short-term process that teaches workforces what they require at a specific moment to excel in a task.	An employee development plan is a long-term process that contributes to the overall growth and development of employees.
Through training, employees learn and improve the technical skills required to perform better in a role.	It imparts knowledge, skills, and lifelong lessons to prepare workforces to deal with more complex challenges in the future.
Employee training programs are more flexible. Companies can change the existing program to balance it with updated technology or innovation.	Development is a continuous self-growth process that requires employees to be highly motivated and career-orientated.
In training, the scope of learning is limited. The knowledge gained through training is usually pertinent to a specific job or role.	The scope of learning in development is wide. It contributes to the holistic development of the company and its employees. Knowledge gained through an employee development plan is well-shaped and remains with you for life.
Has a specific end goal and outcomes. The aim is to learn new software, process, policy, or technology.	The only goal of an employee development plan is to equip a growth mindset in employees, contributing to the company’s successful future.

Is One More Important than the Other?

If you recall from the beginning of the blog, training and development always go hand-in-hand. That means both concepts hold importance for the growth of the company and employees. You can’t just focus entirely on one.

Training prepares employees for the present, while development takes care of the future. And for a company to thrive in the market, working on both the present and future is significant.

Employee training programs focus on optimizing skill sets and work competencies. An employee development plan helps develop a holistic mindset to deal with continuously evolving innovations, technologies, and market disruptions.

Interestingly, soft-skill training like stress management and problem-solving increase employee productivity by 12%. Development, on the other hand, helps retain the younger generation by recognizing the individual learning style – this could be through different LMSs or platforms like 1Huddle.

Goals for Training and Development

Employee training and development both contribute to the following aspects:

1) Employee Retention

When companies provide continuous training to employees, it boosts employee retention. With an employee development plan, professionals feel motivated and encouraged to invest in their learnings for personal growth, which helps build their faith in the organization.

2) Job Satisfaction

If your job offers you different opportunities to advance your skill set and grow your mindset, you’ll eventually feel satisfied in your role.

3) Personal Growth and Development

Employee training and development contribute to the holistic growth of an individual. You’ll learn about new technologies, functions, policies, and processes, which can help you gain specialized knowledge in your field. You can be future-ready and compete in the market with an advanced skill set nurtured through employee training programs.

4) Company Benefits

Happy employees = increased sales and profit!

If your company excels in providing hands-on training and development to your employees, you’ll eventually gain more profit, commitment, and loyalty. Apart from a successful business model and policies, companies need a dedicated workforce who perform better to achieve predetermined goals. And structured employee training and development is the key to that.

How Can You Meet these Goals?

The best way to meet your goals is through implementing new technologies for employee training and development. An outdated employee development plan can’t help you impart lifelong learnings to your employees.

Similarly, if you solely rely on your existing employee training programs, you won’t meet market competition. Continuous growth and adapting to change are the keys to your training and development goals.

Many companies use eLearning tools and techniques to train their employees, considering the needs of new and well-informed workforces. Also, as traditional training methods are becoming obsolete, it’s important to embrace digital learning.

Companies can also try using 1Huddle as it helps employees learn faster through quick-burst games. In most cases, employees forget what they’ve learned within thirty days, but not with 1Huddle. We ensure the workforce learns better, faster, and more broadly to contribute to the overall growth of the company.

To find how 1Huddle operates, request a demo now!