Do you know how much time and money your business invests in training each year? More importantly, do you know if it's actually making a difference?
Training is one of the most valuable investments a business can make. It builds skills, confidence and capability, helping people grow with the business and preparing them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Yet many SMEs still take a reactive approach – training when problems arise, rather than starting with a clear view of what’s really needed.
When done well, training is about unlocking potential, not just about fixing gaps.
Why training matters
For SMEs, where resources and career pathways can be limited compared to larger organisations, developing your own talent is often the smartest move you can make. Attracting new people is getting tougher, and today’s candidates – especially younger generations – are looking for more than just pay. They are seeking opportunities to learn and progress.
If your team doesn’t see you investing in their development, they may not see a long-term future with you. When they do, engagement, productivity and retention all improve.
The starting point: Identifying training needs
Before booking any course or workshop, it’s worth asking: what problem are we trying to solve?
Perhaps bids aren’t landing because your team can’t demonstrate key capabilities. Maybe you’ve introduced a new system that staff need support to use effectively. Or your growth plans mean developing the next tier of managers to lead the business forward.
Identifying training needs accurately allows you to be proactive, plan ahead and make sure development aligns with your wider business goals.
How to identify training needs
Start by looking at the skills your business needs now and in the future, and compare them with those you already have.
Involve your people – ask where they feel confident, where they’d like to grow, and what would help them perform better.
At 360 Growth Partners, we often begin by helping leaders clarify their future goals, map out the capabilities needed to achieve them, and identify any gaps. From there, we shape practical development plans that blend technical training, leadership programmes and targeted coaching.
Making training count
Once the needs are clear, you can target your investment more effectively – whether that’s job-specific training, leadership development or mentoring for individuals. Focused training delivers better results, helps manage costs and builds lasting capability.
Training is an integral part of a bigger plan for your people and your business – one that strengthens culture, supports succession planning and creates confident, capable teams.
Where to start
We’ve supported several clients to take this approach: identifying what their future organisation needs to look like, developing the skills to match and building strong leaders along the way.
If you’d like to explore how we can help your business do the same – from identifying training needs to delivering tailored development and coaching – get in touch at start@360growthpartners.co.uk.
Because when you invest in your people, you invest in your future.