Capability Development: People are a company’s greatest asset

I have worked in organisations that have had great attraction, recruitment and selection processes.  Most of them had poor training and development processes.  Those companies did not provide suitable training or suggest suitable training providers.  Even when I found training that aligned with my role and career, I was told it was not ‘relevant enough’.  I felt stuck because I couldn’t grow my capability.  My motivation and interest dropped and I left the company.

Capability development drives employee engagement and organisational success.  It can be tough to sell services right now but that is why we need to ensure we add value.  We can’t do that if we don’t invest in our people.  Leveraging talent is one the best investments you can make in your business.  Use downtime to upskill people and create better offerings. 

Maintaining Competitive Advantage

In New Zealand we have a neighbour that offers higher wages.  Those across the Tasman earn an average of $1,525 per week in Sydney, compared to $1,060 a week in Auckland (insert reference).  NZ citizens can live and work in Australia with no visa restrictions.  That is appealing.  Your offer has to be attractive to keep skilled staff and maintain a competitive advantage.

Constantly recruiting, onboarding, and training new staff is costly.  We can redirect this investment to the development of staff.  A more capable workforce is a more productive workforce.  Consult with customers to better identify their service gaps and focus your efforts on developing people to fill them. 

Build Capability at all levels

Middle managers shape organisational culture and drive success.  Yet, they are often overlooked when it comes to training and development initiatives.  48% of New Zealand and Australia’s mid-level management say the training and development they now receive has decreased compared to earlier in their career (insert reference). 

Here are some ways we can help people grow:

• Create growth plans for each employee
• Give people opportunities to lead other teams or departments
• Work with teams of specialists or consultants
• Give them more senior-level projects to manage
• Commit to a minimum number of days training per year

Talent is a prized asset and investing in employees isn’t just beneficial – it’s imperative.  Hague Consulting is not a training company.  We are a consulting firm.  These words aren’t about drumming up business, they are about helping organisations provide more value to their clients and customers.  As a People and Capability Consultant, I help organisations unlock their full potential with their greatest asset – their people!

Rich Downey, Consultant, Hague Consulting Ltd. © Hague Consulting Ltd 2024.