The difference between training and development

As markets continue to change and buyer preferences shift, companies are looking for effective ways to keep their employees engaged and successful in their roles. They also need to ensure that everyone has the skills and knowledge they need to engage buyers, deliver memorable experiences, and reach business goals. That’s where employee training and development come in. While both are equally important, there is a significant difference between the two.

What is training?

Training is the process of relaying knowledge, skills, and competencies to individual employees or departments within an organization. Training often focuses on bringing employees up-to-speed and ensuring their skill levels and knowledge reach a certain level to ensure they can perform their job effectively. It often includes a structured and organized approach to learning and plays an important role in organizational performance and success. 

The definition of development

Employee development builds off pre-existing skills, knowledge, and experiences to improve and accentuate capabilities. The primary goal of employee development is to help individuals grow personally and professionally, enabling them to contribute in their current role and prepare for future opportunities within an organization.

Differences between training and development

So, what’s the difference between employee training and development? At the most basic level, training is the process companies use to build the skills of new employees so they’re well equipped to perform the role that they were hired for. Development, on the other hand, includes ongoing education, mentoring, and professional experiences that help employees grow into future roles and opportunities.

Let’s take a look at five key factors that explain the differences between training and development. 

Purpose: Training teaches employees specific skills and knowledge that’s required for their current role. It aims to improve job performance and productivity so employees can be successful. Development has a broader focus and includes activities that enhance an employee’s skills, knowledge, and abilities over time. Development programs aim to prepare employees for future roles and responsibilities. 

Timing: Training is a short-term process that focuses on immediate skills acquisition. It’s often provided when employees join an organization or need to learn something new for their role. Development is a long term process that focuses on growth and progression over time. It is not limited to a specific job or role.

Scope: Training is role-specific and focuses on technical skills and knowledge. Development is broader in scope and includes elements such as leadership, problem-solving, and change management.

Goals: The primary objective of training is to improve skills that drive performance and growth. Development aims to advance a person’s career or capabilities. 

Methods: Training is often led by experts, trainers, and enablement leaders. Common training methods include workshops, online training lessons, and practice exercises. Development includes mentoring, coaching, and formal leadership programs. 

While both are valuable, it’s important to apply them at the right time and in the right way. Every employee will need training when starting a job, and development in order to advance in it. The training and development topics you choose should focus on specific and attainable employee goals that benefit your organization and its employees.

Examples of training and development

Now that we’ve highlighted some of the main differences between training development, let’s take a closer look at an example of what this process may look like for an organization that hires a new seller.

Training

The sales onboarding and training process is multifaceted and includes several items that get new sellers up-to-speed and hitting goals as soon as possible. This includes:

Company and product training: Sellers need to be thoroughly familiar with your organization’s products or services. This includes learning about product features, benefits, pricing, and how they compare to competitors.

Sales skills and best practices: Training sessions should also cover fundamental sales techniques, such as prospecting, lead generation, effective communication, objection handling, and closing deals. This is also a good time to share best practices or winning strategies from other teammates.

Sales tools and technology: Sellers need to understand how to use the tools in your sales tech stack correctly. This includes training on your organization’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, sales automation software, and sales content management systems.

Market and industry knowledge: Sales reps also need ongoing education about the industry they operate in, including market trends, customer demographics, and competitive landscape.

Remember, while all of these elements are important for new sellers to learn. It’s just as important to deliver ongoing sales training to veteran sellers as your organization and the industry continue to evolve.

Development

Mentoring and shadowing: As part of their development, new sellers can be paired with an experienced seller for mentorship and shadowing. This allows them to learn from someone with practical experience and gain insights into successful strategies.

Career path planning: Organizations should also discuss the potential career paths available to sellers over time. This might include advancement opportunities into roles like sales manager, account executive, or team leader.

Feedback and performance reviews: Regular feedback sessions and performance reviews assess the sales rep’s progress, identify areas for improvement, and set development goals.

Networking and relationship building: Encouraging participation in industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities can help sellers build relationships, stay updated on industry trends, and develop their professional network.

Sales leadership skills: If the organization envisions sales reps advancing into leadership roles, they should focus on sales management training. Sales leadership programs focus on topics such as team management, coaching, and strategic planning.

Combining training and development ensures that sales reps acquire the necessary skills to perform their job effectively while also fostering their growth and potential for future roles within the organization. This comprehensive approach helps the seller and the company achieve long-term success.

The importance of training and development

Training Magazine’s 2022 Training Industry Report found that companies spent more than $100 billion on employee training. While this may sound expensive, it’s important to note that numerous reasons prove it’s a worthwhile investment. Take a look at some of the following statistics that show why training is important for today’s organizations: 

• Organizations that invest in employee training reach 11% greater profitability over organizations that don’t. 
• 80% of employees note that more training and development opportunities would help them feel more satisfied in their job. 
• 50% of employees are considering leaving their company due to a lack of training. 

As you can see employee training and development not only benefits individual employees but also contributes to the overall success and competitiveness of the organization. It helps in talent retention, succession planning, and creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the workplace. Organizations that invest in employee development often find themselves better equipped to adapt to changes in the business environment and achieve their long-term goals.

Methods of training

There are numerous types of training that are immediately beneficial to employees. Selecting the right employee training methods provides flexibility that allows you to tailor learning to the employee’s individual learning style, which maximizes the efficiency of your efforts while minimizing the time it takes to get them up to speed. Remember, your training efforts are short-term and should focus on achieving a specific outcome or deliverable, such as improving a skill or learning about a new product.

When you’re looking at what training your employees need, employee training techniques aim to make the employee better at doing things that match what your company needs and what the employee needs for their job. To figure out what kind of training your employee needs, you should first think about whether they need help with a specific job task or a regular job duty. This is different from when the employee is having trouble understanding how your company is organized.

Once you have identified your organization’s training needs, you target specific employee training techniques. For instance, if a seller has a hard time demoing a new product feature, they need to complete additional practice scenarios where they talk about the product. This will allow them to hone their skills and become more comfortable speaking about the product in a safe environment rather than when interacting with a buyer. This allows them to gain expertise and confidence that also improve their job performance.

Development of specific issues

Employee development methods differ from training methods in that they are specifically targeted at learning activities that encourage long-term growth that are aimed at future needs rather than present problems. A forward-thinking learning and development program seeks to link the relationship between employee development and organizational development.

Employee turnover is a big problem for companies. But when employees are supported in their professional growth, they feel more connected to the company. This connection boosts their careers and helps the company grow in the long term. One effective development program involves pairing talented workers with experienced professionals to plan the employee’s career path. Successful development programs benefit both the employee and the company.

Another great way to develop employees is through group settings. Here, employees advance based on peer-feedback. Organizations thrive when they bring together various skill sets, and group development is a proven way to get good results. Remember, the key to success lies in the relationship between employee development and organizational development. When employees succeed, the organization succeeds, and this benefits everyone involved.

Common training and development management topics

When aiming to enhance your workforce through new manager training and development, certain key areas are critical for achieving optimal results. These areas include leadership, communication skills, and the ability to foster effective teamwork, ensuring top-notch performance from your future management team. Additionally, training and development programs focus on cultivating adaptable skills in employees to address issues such as conflict resolution, employee engagement, and coaching abilities.

Effective training and management development programs should also help emerging leaders improve their critical thinking and listening skills. The ability to think outside of the box, and apply innovative solutions to common management problems is critical to building a flexible and responsive team. 

Job rotation is another effective method for management training and development. Job rotation offers advantages such as a flexible workforce, task variety, and team-building. By experiencing various roles within your organization, employees gain a comprehensive understanding of the business model, making them better equipped for their daily tasks and positioning them for future leadership roles within your company.

Train and develop your team with Seismic

At the end of the day, the importance of training and development can’t be overstated. If you’re ready to deliver the training that your employees need to be successful, we can help. Organizations ramp new hires quickly, hone essential skills, stay up-to-date with best practices, and reach performance goals more often with our online training software. Click here to read how one customer saw a 50% reduction in ramp time and earned an average employee training satisfaction score of 95%. Or, get a demo today and we’ll show you how to deliver training at scale to your team.