Training from the perspective of business leaders and managers

Training from the perspective of business leaders and managers

         

          According to a recent evaluation by the World Bank, the quality of Vietnam’s workforce currently scores only 3.79 out of 10, ranking 11th among 12 Asian countries included in the assessment. Another study shows that Vietnamese laborers score only 32 out of 100 points. Meanwhile, economies with workforce quality below 35 points are at risk of losing competitiveness in the global market.

          Statistics from the 2019 Vietnam L&D industry report by the HRD Management Academy, which surveyed 400 Vietnamese businesses, indicate that training budgets range from 0.58% to 2.5% of net revenue. Companies with over 5,000 employees allocate the highest proportion, doubling the investment compared to those with fewer than 500 employees.

           These figures highlight that the quality of human resources and training efforts within organizations have not been adequately prioritized. Amid significant shifts in functional structures, operational methods, and an increasingly knowledge-driven economy, the shortage of high-quality human resources to meet economic development demands is a major drawback in the global competition.

          It is clear that for development, we cannot overlook building and harnessing the potential of organizational human resources, transforming them into a strong driving force for sustainable progress. Human resource training must become a key element in strategies for human development. In the inevitable flow of society, anyone who fails to actively learn, train, and self-train to adapt risks falling behind due to insufficient momentum to keep pace. This is also the characteristic logic of the 21st century—a century defined by the market economy.

        Training efforts in Vietnam face several limitations, including the lack of clear standards, challenges from employees (awareness, laziness), inadequate infrastructure, impractical training methods and content, incomplete materials and programs, and insufficient investment by businesses in training development. Consequently, most training programs merely improve basic skills, failing to unlock employees’ latent potential and resulting in significant losses for both businesses and workers.

Cjgs10ti50355mwlzfzr2b9hd Training.0.663.4239.2395 1024x579

           Like other resources, human resources in businesses also deteriorate and deplete during utilization. Restoring, strengthening, and developing this resource is considered a vital factor for enterprises. So why is training in Vietnamese businesses not prioritized for investment, or even neglected? Let’s explore some reasons for this issue from the perspective of business leaders and managers with HRDC.

         First, business leaders themselves often lack a proper understanding of the importance of developing employees’ overall competencies and the critical role of building and strengthening a strong workforce. This results in insufficient investment in these activities.

             Second, training is a specialized activity, with outcomes that are difficult to immediately quantify through numbers or short-term achievements. It is a long-term process requiring close monitoring and evaluation, from assessing training needs to implementation and post-training evaluations. From a managerial perspective, training is seen as a resource-intensive investment with unclear and challenging-to-measure returns.

            Third, business leaders face numerous challenges in designing and implementing employee capability development plans and programs.

              Fourth, amidst the current trends of workplace and job mobility among the younger workforce, many managers are hesitant to invest in training due to concerns about retaining employees for long-term contributions to the business, which may render initial training investments wasteful.

              Fifth, training in businesses often lacks skilled HR and training managers with extensive knowledge and vision to provide forecasts, comprehensive evaluations, and clear insights into the essence of training. Without such guidance, business owners struggle to understand the value of training or commit to strategic, structured, and detailed training processes.

chuyện đào tạo

            Sixth, many businesses have implemented training programs, but the outcomes have not met initial expectations. This stems from various subjective and objective factors, leading managers to misjudge the importance of training in building and sustaining business growth.

          Seventh, human development, fostering a positive work environment, and cultivating a learning culture are often absent from the strategic vision of many managers and leaders.

          Finally, from the perspective of business owners, training is often viewed as a tool to help achieve business goals and revenue targets as per strategic plans. According to K. Patrick’s training evaluation model, effectiveness is measured through four steps:

  1. Evaluating learners’ reactions to the training program (Reaction);
  2. Assessing learners’ understanding of acquired knowledge and skills (Learning);
  3. Monitoring behavioral changes and progress post-training (Behavior);
  4. Measuring the impact and benefits of training on stakeholders (Results).

       Currently, training programs in Vietnamese businesses typically stop at Levels 2 and 3, focusing on assessing knowledge and behavioral changes. However, business owners and leadership teams are primarily concerned with Level 4— the tangible benefits that training brings to the organization. Achieving this requires a robust system for monitoring and evaluation, leveraging data from all departments and levels within the enterprise, including leadership and management teams, after completing training programs.

HRDC collected and shared.

BÀI VIẾT LIÊN QUAN