Review Top Organizational Training Trends in Austin and Around the Globe
Fathom staff meet with HR directors, leadership and development professionals and client team members every day. Below are a few of the top training issues that organizations are facing.
Trend 1
Generational Change in the Workplace:
As a city with a young, educated and vibrant workforce, Austin certainly has benefits for employers. The demographics of the city also yield some specific challenges because of age and experience. The median age in Austin is 31 years old. This is inside the Millennial age bracket of people born after 1980. And, it means that in Austin, we have a greater tendency to hire young staff. These staff must then meld with staff that might be from another generation.
Fathom has been facilitating an unprecedented number of Generations in the Workplace training sessions to help employers and employees understand the differing values that each generation holds. The result is more awareness and understanding between each of the generations that leads to more effective collaboration and productivity.
Trend 2
Managing Growth:
Austin is home to many high tech start-ups and fast growing firms. Many are growing without a strategic plan in place to manage growth or a vision for the future to guide them. Developing a values driven strategic plan and communicating that plan to every employee provides both stability and an actionable set of decision making criteria that focuses company efforts on obtainable goals. Fathom provides strategic planning and communication solutions that provide a solid foundation for organizational growth.
Trend 3
Improving the Customer Experience:
Fast growth comes with a cost. Customers typically feel the effects of growth when a firm’s existing customer service staff is tasked with handling the increased volume. New staff members are brought on board but often lack the experience and training necessary to service customers at optimum levels. Customers feel the difference in how they are handled by customer service staff members who are not yet reading from the same page of the playbook as their team members. Effective customer service training gets staff on the same page and provides a template for bringing new hires up to speed.
Trend 4
Developing Core Managerial Skills:
Due to rapid growth and the need to manage it, front line staff members are being promoted more quickly into management positions. Many have never managed others and have not been given training in the core areas of leadership style, communication, generation, motivation, delegation, performance management and evaluation to take on this new role.
Investments in managerial effectiveness are essential for organizations that are in competition for skilled technical workers. Eighty percent of an employee’s decision to terminate employment is based on their relationship with their direct manager.