There are many factors that contribute to the success of any business.
A compelling customer offer, great processes and strong marketing are all hugely important but central to the success of every business is a well-trained and motivated workforce.
That is why we invest in every colleague from the day they join Nicklin and provide them with the training, guidance and support they need to succeed.
Why training and development matters
On average more than a third of employees across all industries leave their positions in the first year, often because of a lack of training and clearly defined career pathways to grow within the company.
A successful workforce is one that feels that it is valued and where individuals feel that they have the opportunities to fulfil their potential.
Investing in training is a key part of this and while training enables every colleague to build their skills base, it also helps provide a sense of ownership through providing a better understanding of how their work fits into our mission and goals.
When a colleague knows they have the chance to expand in their day-to-day role, this gives impetus and momentum for ongoing engagement and future development.
The impacts of not investing in staff and then seeing them leave are not just short term but can also cause problems further down the line in terms of productivity and customer relationships.
What is absolutely clear from our experience is that well trained staff are more efficient and effective so investing in training is actually an investment in productivity. Trained employees also tend to have higher production standards – they understand what good look like which means we have fewer mistakes and less wasted time.
The positive knock-on effect is that customer satisfaction is higher as our products and services are being delivered on time and to a high standard.
By ensuring our team is well trained also enables us to retain and grow our customer base through maintaining service levels and relationships, which would otherwise be impacted in organisations where there is a high turnover.
It is a generally accepted fact that it is more efficient to maintain existing customers than to win new ones and happy customers means more business as well as potential referrals to new customers.
Creating a learning culture through training
At Nicklin every colleague plays a vital role in delivering success.
Whatever their role, we are committed to ensuring that they have the skills and training to ensure that they can do their job to their very best ability while also providing them with clear and tangible opportunities to grow within the business
Central to our approach is a defined production skills framework that provides every employee with a clear view of expectations and opportunities.
The four-stage framework starts at entry level and rises to level 4 expertise and looks at a range of areas including product knowledge, attendance, attitude and commitment.
Every colleague has their own development plan which outlines the skills they need to develop to move on to the next level and they can decide when they feel they are ready to be assessed to move on to the next level.
By moving through the framework, colleagues are able to take control of their own career path, taking on new responsibilities and enjoying higher rates of pay.
Since introducing the skills framework, we have seen significant improvements in productivity and job retention and most importantly, it has created a learning culture that breathes through the company and supports our goal of delivering continuous improvement in everything that we do.
