In a fast-paced corporate world, the training and development of employees is an indispensable aspect. This is why several organizations set up a separate learning and development department that will help a company to tackle employee shortcomings, improve performance, increase productivity and much more. Typically, it is the training & development manager who oversees the training, onboarding and promoting the growth of employees across all departments.
As a manager, you need to build certain professional development skills to grow in your career.
- Knowledge building: You need to keep abreast of the contemporary training and development methods/tools, as well as how to disseminate the acquired knowledge to achieve the program’s objective.
- Influencing/negotiating: To ensure that a training program is strategically aligned to the business, you need to develop the ability to negotiate. Negotiate, and build consensus to acquire information and accomplish goals.
- Strategic thinking: As a training and development manager, you must gain an understanding of the organization goals. Additionally, you should have the ability to establish a long-term and short-term view, based on which you can recognize the opportunities to achieve training objectives.
- Creativity: Throughout your career, you will be required to be creative and innovative. Training managers should think divergently to resolve problems and optimize the process of learning and development.
- Academics: It is true that field experience will benefit your career greatly but having academic excellence will further give a boost to your career. To become a Training and Development Manager, you generally need a bachelor’s degree. However, a master’s degree such as MBA in HR or a related field will improve your management and talent training skills.
- Know the industry: Along with the aim to align your business programs with the company’s goals, you also need to follow associations, groups, and publications to keep an eye on the training industry trends. This is a crucial skill that every training and development manager should continue so that you can have a big impact on employee engagement.
- Multitasking with leadership: Being a leader, you will need to be pro at managing multiple tasks. An effective training manager is responsible for managing employee performance, team members, change management, coordinating with stakeholders, peers, subordinates, and supervisors, manage the company budget, among others.
- Getting a degree: Although some companies consider a bachelor’s degree enough to hire for the position of Training and Development Manager, a master’s degree will further give a boost to your career. In case you’re a working professional, you can apply for an online MBA in Human Resource Management course. A management course will help you understand the concepts of management, and improve your people management, and talent training skills, among others.