The Value of Employee Education

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." —Phil Jackson

Even in the best of times, running a successful paint business is challenging. Add to that, COVID-19’s impact across the industry and, chances are, your focus is on day-to-day needs — getting the next job; serving current clients; handling payroll, budgets, and bids; and, simply making ends meet.

Yes, it’s tough, but don’t lose sight of long-term plans, especially when it comes to your staff! Your team is only as strong its knowledge and abilities — so now’s the perfect time to prepare your crew to perform once business rebounds.

How? Consider giving employees the educational and development tools they need to succeed. Options abound onsite workshops, online courses, and webinars, podcasts, in-house mentorship, etc. Even better? You’ll have a well-trained and loyal staff that will help your company thrive for years to come.

Some benefits to consider:

1) Lower Turnover
Investing in your staff’s success is not only smart business, but it sends a clear, encouraging message: You recognize their value and support their personal goals. Consider how impactful that can be, especially in these chaotic times.
While there may be concerns about costs or about losing trained personnel, keep in mind that your support and reinforcement will pay off in the long run. Why? It’s simple: Happy employees are dedicated employees — and they know that when the company succeeds, everyone wins.

2) Higher Productivity
When a company commits to skill- and knowledge-based learning, it not only benefits the individual but the entire team, because that person will bring those new abilities back into the company. And, once this new-found expertise is successfully applied as a group, confidence, productivity, and cooperation will grow. This translates to happier clients; better referrals; more projects finished on time and on budget; and, of course, higher profits.

3) High Morale = Employee Advocacy
Employee morale should always be a priority, as your workers interact with current and prospective clients — and, off the clock, they can be and are your biggest promoters. These “employee advocates” talk about and recommend your company to friends, family, and more via word-of-mouth and digital/social media.

With increasing market competition, staff promotion is more important than ever. And, by extending your team learning opportunities, you are investing in their skills — and in their job satisfaction, as well. Now that’s something to talk about!

Note! One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Before you jump in it’s important to understand that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Take time to determine what kind of training serves the entire team — as well as your employees’ individual professional needs. Not sure where to start? Ask your staff! Figure out who needs what and put a plan in place.

Not convinced? Read on:

"Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." —Vince Lombardi

While outside training and certifications are highly valuable, they may not be in your budget right now. No problem! Take a moment and look around. Rally your most experienced personnel, tap into their extensive knowledge base; and create an in-house educational environment. With the guidance of you and your top staff, employees can learn, practice, and apply valuable skills — all while keeping costs down.

• Conduct monthly training, which might include skill-specific and/or cross-training workshops (i.e., teach your office manager to use a sprayer or your crew lead to master Excel!)
• Once a week, email your team instructional videos, podcasts, tech sheets, etc. Dunn-Edwards and the Painting Contractors Association are great resources. Be sure to follow-up — consider sending a short quiz a few days later
• Encourage company-wide support by creating senior-staff and peer-to-peer mentorship programs
• Each month, choose a specific job-based skill to develop and set achievement goals
• Have some fun! Try making training a competition or game
• Of course, be sure to acknowledge and thank the teaching staff!

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin

That said, no one knows everything. Consider external programs and certifications that provide training on advanced skills that will strengthen your staff’s and company’s expertise, efficiency, and success.

Product and Industry Training

Outside training can increase understanding of industry best practices, as well as products, tools, and their proper application. It also fosters greater confidence, improves performance, and fosters awareness of personal accountability. In addition, many programs provide training in customer service, job safety, and industry lingo. Check out Master Painters Institute and Penn Foster Workforce Development for more information.

Don’t Forget the Front Office!

Your office support staff is the lifeblood of your business, yet it can be tempting to stick with “what ain’t broke,” rather than invest and train your in-house workers in current technologies. Give them the opportunity to realize their potential “beyond-the-basics,” while you benefit from their expanded knowledge.

Learning new software, marketing, and social media strategies, web design, desktop publishing, business software, media relations, customer relations, etc. enables your team to run the office better and faster and handle your promotional needs — all of which save you money! Visit the Small Business Administration for ideas.