Train the Minds that Run Your Business

We all have heard about the importance of corporate training, In this post, am going to find out why training is so essential and how could you choose a great trainer.

 A business is as good as its employees. Hence, it is critical to train and upgrade the skills of the employees and to keep them motivated enough, so that they don’t run away to the competition. A corporate trainer helps achieve these goals. He is a neutral resource in an organization, whose job is to acquaint new hires with the standard business protocols of the company, and to help them improve on the ‘soft skills’. The term ‘soft skills’ is generic and it may include technical skills as well, but usually the trainer helps people hone on skills like getting along with others, effective communication, motivation, leadership, management, etc.

Qualities Required

Corporate trainers should know the subject well on which they are training and have a well rounded background, in some kind of social science or advanced social science. Though, some experience in HR will be an additional advantage. 

They should be able to translate their experience and knowledge in the training sessions for the benefit of the trainees, and be able to engage their audience. They have to keep in the mind that their audience is an educated and experienced group and they have to grab their attention for which presence of mind, wit, voice modulation, interesting anecdotes, patience along with thorough knowledge of subject matter becomes important. The trainer has to make sure that the participants get substantial ‘takeaways’ after they have spent time and energy on the training sessions.

When its must to train the employees

In an ideal world, all departments need to spend some time with the trainer to upgrade their skill sets. However, there are certain departments for whom periodic training is a must. These departments are sales people, customer relationship department because they interact with real customers. Periodic training helps them to upgrade their technical skills and soft skills and keeps their morale high. Similarly, departments involved in R & D, company laws too need to need to attend training sessions to stay abreast of the latest developments in their industry. Computer training is one such areas, needed by everyone because of software getting upgraded.

On Board Trainer vs Consultants

When the company gets corporate trainers temporarily from outside, it has the advantage of getting someone on board who is neutral and is not influenced by the organization politics. His agendas are clear and he wishes to achieve those in his training sessions. However, the pitfalls with these trainers can be that they may never gain a grasp of what the organization is all about and their advice may be disregarded by members who resist change or distrust the trainer as an outsider. The trainers own personal faults may keep them from building the trust with the trainees.

With in-house trainers the advantages are that the company has a trained and competent resource for training new hires and existing employees as and when the need arises, but then fatigue can creep in the trainer. Moreover, he might get influenced by organizational politics.

Making Hay while the Health Shines

We always knew that health is wealth. With increased lifespan, greater disposable incomes and health insurance (positive trends) for the wellness segment have also come lifestyle ailments which are affecting us in larger numbers and at a younger age. The focus in the wellness segment is moving from ‘sick care’ to ‘preventive health care’ and this has accelerated the growth of below mentioned trends.

Organized Pharmacy Retail:  The stand alone, chemist stores of the past, which followed unhealthy practices while dispensing medicines have been seriously threatened by the organized pharmacy retail chains.  Such chains have brought in improved service standards, assurance of genuine medicines and authentic practices like ‘no sale without a bill’. Moreover, the better store ambience, enhanced stocking patterns, free home delivery service, a trained pharmacist at the counter and various ‘value adds’ lures the customer, who is gradually moving from his ‘old’ chemist to these pharma chains. The ‘value adds’ include Loyalty card o where a customer gains a point when he makes a purchase and it can be redeemed at the store, health checks and attractive discounts at hospitals or on health checks. The market is growing at 18% per annum and over the next decade this industry will grow at tier II cities also.

Nutraceutical Industry: The word ‘nutraceutical’ is an amalgamation of two words: nutrition and pharmaceutical. With increased urbanization and disposable income, people also have paucity of time to cook healthy foods. Moreover the soil in which the crops grow lack micro nutrients. This result in nutrition deficiency and people are ready to shell out money to buy ready-mix formulations to supplement nutritional deficiency. The nutraceutical business in India is estimated at around INR 44 billion. The market is estimated to be growing at the rate of 15%. Almost all big pharmaceutical players present in India, as well as specialist retail brands like GNC, USA (in exclusive tie-up with Guardian Pharmacy) have set shop in this space.

Beauty Industry: The emphasis to look good and young has been like never before. Multinational companies like Yves Rocher (retails through us), Body Shop, have their outlets in India and they sell high-end beauty products, which disappear from the shelves like hot cakes. The consumer is willing to spend more if the product promises to deliver what it claims. An offshoot of beauty industry is the emerging trend of spas which have become quite affordable now. Along with spas, fitness centres have come up in large numbers.

 Corporatization of hospitals: The lone clinic of the past, where the doctor checked the patient and wrote a prescription usually functioning with the help of a nurse has been replaced by glitzy corporate hospitals that take charge of the patient’s health.