Past the Point of No Return

Does splashing out on employee development programmes really help companies boost their bottom line?

It is a question that has long been asked in the business world, although many companies are now scrutinising training schemes to a new level to ensure they get a return on their investment (ROI).

"The days of people going to training courses and not looking at ROI is over, particularly with the global financial crisis," says Paula McManus, the head of learning and development at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD).

While the amount businesses spend on learning and development programmes is not tracked overall in the Emirates, it amounts to US$1,228 (Dh4,510) per employee for those who goes through training in the US, according to data from the American Society for Training & Development.

In 2009, corporate spending on salaries for trainers as well as workshops and outside learning events in the US topped $125 billion. Some companies in the UAE also spend significant sums on training their employees. NBAD has a budget of more than Dh70 million for this purpose, says Ms McManus. But the bank requires an assessment following most of the programmes it offers or hosts to ensure the money is being spent wisely.

Following one seminar this year, employees from NBAD learnt about how to challenge their teams and push them to new limits. They were then asked to submit a portfolio to show which tools they had started to implement, such as asking the right kinds of questions to foster group decision-making. At Dubai Aluminum Company (Dubal), some of its senior managers have been moving through an accelerated leadership programme for more than a year.

Hazel Jackson, CEO of biz-ability, recently came in for some sessions to help individuals find ways to continue innovating and creating new business ideas.

Earlier this year the company sent two of its senior executives to a speech delivered by Liz Wiseman, an executive leadership trainer and author of the book Multipliers. Afterwards, the executives felt other leaders in the organisation could also implement some of the new tools that were discussed to "get the most from the talent we have within the company", says Ilias Assimakopoulos, the chief executive of Agthia

Ms Wiseman did end up delivering a one-day presentation for 30 senior managers at Agthia, although the timing of her visit was no accident: it coincided with the launch of new product categories at Agthia during the last quarter of this year.

Read the full article on The National

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