Training: a shared challenge and responsibility.
- Jennyfer MONTANTIN
- Aug 16
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 17
Training is a major issue in the lives of both employees and companies. It is a legal obligation for organizations, but also a shared responsibility between three key functions of professional development and individual and collective performance: the employee, the manager, and the Human Resources Department.
Despite the enrichment of the training function over the years, it still faces many obstacles within organizations. This observation is pushing professionals in the sector to innovate, both in terms of formats and program management, to explore the vast field of possibilities opened up in particular by digitalization.
1/ Training, why it is important.
a. A legal obligation for businesses.
According to Article L6321-1 of the French Labor Code, "the employer ensures that employees are adapted to their workstation. He ensures that their ability to hold a job is maintained, particularly with regard to changes in jobs, technologies, and organizations. He may offer training that contributes to skills development and the fight against illiteracy." This obligation is illustrated by the provision of a Personal Training Account (CPF) to each employee, allowing them to acquire training rights that can be used throughout their working life.
The Ministry of Labor specifies the associated training actions:
Allow anyone without professional qualifications or without an employment contract to access employment under the best possible conditions;
To promote the adaptation of workers to their workstation, to job developments, as well as their continued employment, and to participate in the development of their skills, whether or not related to their workstation, or to acquire a higher qualification;
To reduce, for employees whose jobs are threatened, the risks resulting from qualifications that are unsuited to changes in company techniques and structures, by preparing them for a change of activity, either within or outside their company. They can enable employees whose employment contract is terminated to access jobs requiring different qualifications, or non-employees to access new professional activities;
Promote professional mobility.
Furthermore, the law of September 5, 2018, on the freedom to choose one's professional future, has profoundly changed the landscape of vocational training. This law, which has been in effect since January 1, 2019, goes beyond the traditional corporate framework to position each individual in an evolving individual career path adapted to their particularities and choices.
Vocational training figures published by the Vocational Training Federation :
3,000 companies generate 70% of the training market's turnover.
17 million people are trained each year in France.
85% of needs are covered by private training provision.
150,000 employees are employed in the vocational training sector.
Private sector workers are those who receive the most training, although there are disparities depending on the level of responsibility:
Source: “Why vocational training is problematic” La Croix
b. A challenge for both the company and the employee.
For the company, it's above all a way to keep employees competitive over the long term, by training them in the latest technologies, standards, and the latest theories related to their profession. This is an undeniable asset, regardless of the sector in which the company operates, so as not to be overtaken by its competitors or to gain an advantage.
Training is also a managerial and HR issue. It helps fuel employee motivation by showing them that we're investing in them, giving them the time they need to acquire new skills, and providing them with the resources they need to accomplish their missions. Employees feel valued, listened to, supported, and aided in their responsibilities, and, above all, equipped to meet the challenges they face.
Finally, training helps build long-term employee loyalty: it's not a wasted, short-term investment. Training paves the way for skills development, empowerment, and internal mobility, allowing each employee to find the answer to their needs for achievement and professional development within the company.
c. A tripartite benefit manager / employee / HR-Management.
The latest study by Nextdoor and Opinionway on happiness at work details the conditions favored and shared by workers for a fulfilling professional daily life:
A job that appeals (90%);
A profession where they achieve good results thanks to their skills (90%);
A job that ensures a good work-life balance (89%);
A job that takes place in a pleasant atmosphere (89%).
Achieving good results through skills is achieved through training with three corollary motivation levers enabling a win-win relationship between the employee, their manager and the Human Resources Department-Company Management duo:
Recognition: employees feel recognized, which allows them to express themselves fully and contribute their maximum potential to the company.
Autonomy: Being trained means being given responsibility and autonomy in the performance of one's duties. An autonomous employee is someone who is trusted and who feels comfortable taking initiatives that drive performance.
Stimulation: Training is a good way to avoid routine and monotony at work. It therefore offers employees renewed stimulation with each learning experience.
In summary, training is a driver of individual and collective performance:
2/ A performance lever that has many obstacles.
a. Employees who lack initiative.
In most companies, employees are busy, stressed, and not very motivated to take training. Why?
Training is often perceived as an activity that can be put off until later , because it wastes valuable time in carrying out one's job and achieving objectives. This short-term vision is well illustrated in the 25th BPI Group observatory entitled "Employees and employability: the cordial disagreement". French employees do not anticipate the evolution of the job market and are not very concerned about their employability. While two-thirds of those surveyed are aware of the transformation of professions, only 25% are worried about it.
According to them, their personal qualities, such as adaptability and motivation, are their greatest assets in the job market. Tangible aspects of their career path come only afterward: regular training (33%), initial qualification level (30%), high professional mobility and skills development (28%).
Among other reasons:
A lack of trust among employees in their line manager to share their desire for advancement.
A lack of visibility on internal mobility which does not encourage people to want to train and progress towards another career.
A lack of awareness of training and professional development systems linked to a lack of visibility of the employer brand in internal communication actions.
Bad training experiences if the employee noted too great a difference between the training followed and the application in reality.
An incompatibility between the learning method and the learner : some people are not comfortable with face-to-face or distance learning, or with the duration of the training offered.
b. Managers caught in a pincer movement by objectives.
Short-termism is also a problem for managers caught up in the fast-paced pace of daily life and meeting goals. They don't always take the time to ask themselves these questions, or sometimes selfishly prefer to keep talented people on their team to ensure the smooth running of their department.
According to the Cegos Barometer "X-ray of managers: is the managerial role still attractive?" of October 2018, managers consider that they mainly lack the time to manage the skills development of their employees, which is both fundamental and time-consuming:
Very often, a lack of knowledge about HR offerings is also a blocking reality. Managers are unaware of the breadth of the training catalog and are simply unaware that certain training courses exist. They are not sufficiently supported on the subject, and training remains underinvested in by this key function.
c. HR that lacks time and resources.
The Human Resources Department's responsibility for talent employability requires considerable time. Lack of time and resources generally results in the implementation of "general" training courses, while employees need specific, individualized, and operational content.
For Training Managers, the main difficulties are:
48% a limited budget.
48% demonstrate the return on investment of training.
27% identify training needs.
Training management involves a very significant administrative burden that is difficult to reconcile with efficiency and performance.
But all this is far from inevitable: many solutions exist today to optimize and improve everyone's relationship with training.
3/ Learning: a vast field of possibilities that deserves to be explored!
a. The wide range of ways of learning.
Significant work has been done on the formats side. Indeed, training has not escaped digitalization, and in fact, 61% of employees favor new digital training formats : IMOOC, VOD, mobile applications, virtual classrooms, etc.
This teaching is taken into account by Human Resources Departments to enrich their training offerings and adapt formats to new mobility habits and employee expectations.
Several formats are popular:
Social learning is a symptom of the rise of online collaboration. It's a learning method that allows you to share, build, and interact with others (colleagues, tutors, or experts) remotely via collaborative tools (chat, blog, etc.) or corporate social networks. This is the type of training that generates one of the best ROIs.
Smartphone-based "microlearning" involves training for 10 to 15 minutes a day. This format is adapted to the demands of everyday life and a schedule that rarely allows for one or two full days off.
MOOCs , an open type of distance learning capable of accommodating a large number of participants, which despite a strong enthusiasm when they first appeared, are the subject of less encouraging figures with a completion rate of around 10%.
Blended Learning, which consists of mixing, in the same training course, distance, digital methods and traditional in-person training sessions.
“On the job training”, training at the workplace but generally outside of production (school production line or dedicated space within a work environment).
Mentoring , a training which designates an interpersonal relationship of support, exchanges and sharing of experience with a mentor.
Face-to-face training is far from dead, allowing the trainer to adapt to their audience, to stimulate and capture attention, to develop interpersonal skills with role-playing exercises, to create mutual support and interactive collaborative work, or even to create a human connection between participants... which is difficult to replace with screens.
Formats enriched by numerous trends, from collaborative to gamification, as shown by the trends identified for 2020:
b. Areas of focus and progression of in-company training.
The plethora of formats on offer should not make Human Resources Departments, faced with high performance challenges, forget the essentials. Among the areas of attention and progress applicable to corporate training, six key areas should be kept in mind:
Learn and remember: ensure that training is integrated and useful over time, on the one hand so that the investment is profitable for the company, and on the other hand so that it serves the employee in their professional career.
Personalize the courses: If a training course is too general, it will not be of operational use to either the company or its employees. The training content must be as close as possible to the challenges on the ground.
Measuring a training workload: training can no longer be considered without an assessment of its relevance and strategic importance. Every training manager must be able to carry out this measurement.
Implement a “Learning Management System” (LMS): while training represents a very heavy administrative burden on HR, adopting an LMS saves time and optimizes performance related to training courses.
Prioritize connection and community: Experience and knowledge are an integral part of a company's assets or living heritage. Encouraging connections and collaboration through formats like social learning generates enthusiasm and promotes information retention. It's also extremely beneficial within an organization (strengthens corporate culture, motivation, pride of belonging, sharing, etc.).
Look for simple tools : Learning Management System, use of video, creation of learning platform, implementation of modules are all “simple” tools to favor and aggregate for the most optimized and effective training policy possible.
c. The opportunity for support from training professionals.
Training is playing an increasingly strategic role and is undergoing a revolution as new ways of working and digitalization are having a major impact on organizations.
Supporting change, redesigning processes, integrating new technologies and key trends such as soft skills are all contributions facilitated by consulting firms and external consultants specializing in the subject.
Both experts and strategic planners, they offer perspective and turnkey support tailored to the requirements and priorities of each company.
Regarding Blossom Talents , the benefits of the support are concrete, with three key points highlighted in the feedback:
Expertise in transformation environments , allowing Blossom Talents to respond more specifically to tense situations
A 360° knowledge of the plethora of training on offer and its players on the national and international territory to get straight to the point.
A Training Center certification that provides a guarantee of alignment with market requirements on the subjects of employability and employee experience.
The teams supported in the change report that what seemed complicated and insurmountable has become accessible and engaging, through the holding of workshops aimed at co-construction and targeted communication on the projects identified as priorities.
Other players are innovating, such as Step Up , an HR solution that supports employees in designing their skills development paths. Its promise: to co-construct their training path for the year with the employee in 2 hours. The employee then becomes an actor in their own development while the company offers them personalized advice.
Regarding soft skills and more specifically items relating to CSR, we will also mention Reverto , which fights in particular against psychosocial risks using virtual reality and 360° video to generate empathy and improve relationships within the organization.
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Prospective conclusion:
While face-to-face training remains of real interest within organizations, the current Coronavirus crisis, but more generally the increasing mobility of employees, demonstrates the increasingly marked need to develop digitalized courses.
In France, 73% of companies plan to accelerate their digitalization processes because it encourages learner engagement and strengthens their learning. From an HR perspective, digitalization is becoming a lever for attracting and retaining talent. It must also give meaning and engage each stakeholder: employee, manager, and HR director.
Many innovations are currently revolutionizing the sector, and technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to have a prominent place at the heart of training programs in the coming years.
In this regard, I am sharing with you my visit to the " Learning Technologies " Show which took place in London at the beginning of 2020. I went there with two objectives: to discover as many innovations as possible in terms of digital learning and to challenge these discoveries from an operational deployment point of view.
The main lessons:
Digital training has become a marketed commodity like Netflix or Spotify, flexible, on-demand, and plentiful;
Today, we use technology to reconnect with our emotions and our soft skills.
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