The ROI of Training

Workforce Management printed an article a few weeks ago about the four types of training that should never be cut.  One of them is anti-harassment training.  It’s a good article and you can check it out here.  (Free registration required.  But you know you want to anyway.)

I’m amazed that organizations would cut something like workplace violence or anti-harassment training.  The cost to conduct training is minimal compared to the potential risk.

Finding citable government or news sources is just about impossible.  But, most web articles indicate the average jury award for an EEOC case is around $250,000.  That, of course, doesn’t even include legal fees or costs associated with the potential damage to corporate brand and action steps to preventing another such incident from happening again.

Now for grins and giggles, let’s look at the cost of training.  I did a quick Google search for:

Anti-Harassment Training Video:  One of my favorites, titled “In This Together“, sells for $895 (or rent it for 5 days – $350).

Anti-Harassment Webinar:  I found this one priced between $199-$350 depending upon recording options.

Now I know what you’re thinking.  “Sharlyn, you have a training company – of course you’re going to promote training.”  Okay, sure…I’m all for training.   But I never recommend anything that doesn’t make sense for my clients or my readers.  And, this is just a no-brainer.  Make a small investment to potentially avoid a larger expense via lawsuit.  And, with the Supreme Court tackling “sexting”, it’s just a matter of time before that issue moves into the workplace.

Yes, I appreciate times have been tough but, like the Workforce Management article mentions, there are some things you just don’t eliminate.  Maybe in the past, anti-harassment training was a half-day in a classroom.  Now it’s just an hour and it’s web- or video-based.  Either way, it’s important to continue training.

I actually think it could be good for your training programs to mix it up where delivery is concerned.  The same program delivered the same way year after year can lose its effectiveness.  This is an opportunity.

Let’s face it, the last thing you want is for an employee to do something stupid.  Follow the advice of that old sports cliche, “the best defense is a good offense.”  Get creative with this and be proactive.

Image courtesy of alancleaver_2000

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