Being able to secure a return on investment is a challenge for most businesses when it comes to training and skills development.

Human Resource and Human Capital Management experts explain the conundrum that the majority of decision makers have to deal with: whilst training and people development is mandatory, there are no guarantees of a return on this investment.

“It goes against how most business decisions are made, justified and enforced,” says James McKerrell, CEO of CRS Technologies. “Generally business decisions are based on strategies, with clearly identified levels of investment and returns based on supply and demand. This is not the case with training.”

Upskilling and skills development means investing resources into empowering people with the necessary skills and ability to do their jobs better.

Although there are parameters that can be agreed upon, terms and conditions set – there is very little a business can do to ensure that people stay on once they have acquired skills.

This is exacerbated by a challenging labour environment, in the public and private sector, dominated by head-hunting, an increasing need for flexibility in the workplace, of work/life balance and the growing influence of mobile technology (including BYOD/BYOA).

These are all characteristics that define a fast-paced, information and customer-centric business environment.

McKerrell says the need to attract and retain skilled employees remains a challenge for businesses. “Whilst the challenge of losing talent once you have spent time and money training and up-skilling is frustrating, one cannot afford not to grow the people.”

It is important to have a program for training staff and keep to it. “This is usually very difficult because day-to-day output pressures tend to get preference,” McKerrell continues.

“With the skills level very low (as a result of the brain drain) and those with skills being “hunted” for large incentive,  a tremendous but much needed effort is required and one has to acknowledge and accept that the spend may just benefit the individual and not the organisation.”

A skills development and HCM growth program based on the requirements of the business, its long-term objectives and the dynamics of the market, will add substantial value to training.