Understanding Training and Development: Strategic HR Management

In the private club world, service and culture are vital to making the member experience worthwhile. For employees to best serve both the club and its members, employees should have a broad understanding of the club, its members’ needs, and their own place within the club’s service-oriented culture.

To help motivate employees, clubs should help them recognize that their work directly helps to accomplish the club’s mission and achieve its vision and goals. If employees feel that they not only can make a difference, but that their performance directly impacts club success, they’re more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, dedicated to their work and invested in the club’s future.

To encourage employee investment and engagement, clubs should not only give employees the skills to perform their current positions, but also help prepare them for a career in the club industry. Training, and both skill and career development, should be an integral part of any comprehensive human resources program.

Training and development programs can provide a strong, tangible benefit to your club. Employees who are well trained can accomplish their tasks more quickly and with a higher level of proficiency. Training is an investment that brings returns in the form of improved employee performance. Investing in employee development helps prepare employees to be strong club leaders in the future. Both are fundamental components of current and future club success, helping your club to meet its strategic objectives and reinforce its mission.

Training & Development: Two Parts of a Whole

Employee development is different from employee training, though no less important. While training focuses on correcting an immediate skill deficit or helping employees to cope with additional on-the-job responsibilities, development helps arm employees for their future in the club industry. Development programs are a vital part of grooming current employees for future leadership positions and preparing employees for the expanding demands that accompany the rapidly changing workplace of tomorrow.

Training and development often go hand in hand, even though they encompass different aspects of employee cultivation.

Training

Though training is usually used to correct a skill deficit and remedy performance problems, performance issues are not always directly related to a lack of skill. When considering a training program, it’s important to determine not only the problem, but also what’s causing it. Saying the problem is “poor job performance” doesn’t necessarily take into account why the employee’s performance is poor. If a lack of skill or job-related knowledge is causing poor performance, then appropriate training might quickly correct the problem. If an employee needs to learn how to use a new piece of equipment, then training is also a viable option. But, if the issue stems from an employee’s poor attitude or lack of personal investment, then training may not be the appropriate solution.

While employees do bear some personal responsibility for their performance in terms of diligence and work ethic, not all factors contributing to job performance are directly within the employees’ control.

Unclear expectations and conflicting requests can prevent employees from properly carrying out their assignments and job responsibilities, while overall workplace morale issues are also beyond an employee’s control. These kinds of underlying organizational issues can often result in poor employee performance, but can’t be rectified by further employee training.

When training occurs after the onboarding process, it can sometimes be seen in a negative light because training is often used to correct skill or performance deficiencies. Sending an employee for “training” may indicate dissatisfaction with that employee’s performance. That being said, as training becomes more necessary to combat skill deficits in a rapidly changing work environment, portraying “training” as “development” within the workplace can help make employees eager to learn. Offering training with a focus on professional growth and improvement, rather than implying the correction of a skill deficit, can help lessen employee resistance.

Development

Labor shortages of skilled workers within the hospitality industry are prompting many clubs to look within their own ranks for employees capable of filling leadership roles. Those employees with strong leadership potential or aptitude for service can be molded into employees that reflect the club’s ideals and fill its future needs.

Well-trained, competent managers who are dedicated to helping the club achieve its mission and realize its vision are integral to overall club success. Instituting development programs shows potential club managers and leaders that the club is invested in their future and, in turn, can ensure that they will be invested in the club’s future. Reinforcing the culture of promoting from within builds club loyalty and reinforces strong work ethics and dedication to the club. Development works not only on building an employee’s skills, but also on building an employee’s relationship with the club and commitment to its vision and goals.

Whether through training or development programs, helping employees grow and develop within the club, from the bottom, up, helps to foster a strong sense of club loyalty—ensuring that tomorrow’s leaders are fully invested in future club success.

Excerpted from NCA’s forthcoming publication on HR best practices for private clubs.

Jackie Abrams is NCA’s communications manager.