We can all agree that learning something new is enriching and empowering.
Perhaps you felt that exhilarating moment when you rode a bike unassisted or taught yourself to whistle. Teaching ourselves can bring immense satisfaction but learning from others and experts; can catapult us to the next level. As humans, we spend a lifetime (or at least I hope we do!) learning, and naturally, this extends into the workplace.
At Make it Clear, we recognise that training is vital to the growth of our employees and organisation. Our approach is not a ‘one size fits all’, and training goals are thoughtfully created with the individual and company in mind.
We appreciate that some employees learn best in formalised settings where they can focus on the material. Others lean more towards the flexibility of self-study, while others prefer on-the-job training, audiobooks or collaborative learning. Knowing and appreciating these differences and offering our employees the option to train in the way that suits them best is something MiC prides itself on.
Ways Make it Clear supports employee training:
Individual and team training
Make it Clear allocates an annual budget for individual and team training. Team members are actively involved in their training plans, and training metrics are tracked to ensure training is equitable across the organisation.
Team training focuses on skills that elevate the team in general. For example, this year, the team will participate in a public speaking workshop and attend industry festivals and conferences that build team relationships and spark creativity.
Personal development
Personal development is vital to increasing individual growth and job satisfaction. This type of training also benefits the organisation with returns on investment found in employee confidence and engagement. Coaching via our retained coach is available to all Make it Clear employees and provides a safe place to explore areas for personal and career growth.
Skill development
Skill development, understandably, is where the bulk of the focus occurs. This is where employees strengthen their expertise in areas that impact their specific roles. This can be found in further training in a software platform, management tools or client relations. It helps employees bring their best to a role and can impact work-life balance with improvements in efficiencies. Make it Clear runs regular lunch and learn sessions with industry partners. It is just another way we engage the team and stimulate new ideas and learnings.
Internal champions
Make it Clear encourages employees to go beyond their specific roles and become internal champions in areas that interest them. These areas often support our values and vision and guide the organisation to improvements in areas of social impact. Currently, we have team members exploring and educating us on sustainability and accessibility. This sharing of knowledge happens casually, in more formal team meetings and workshops and results in updated processes and policies.
Accreditations
Several team members are pursuing further accreditation in their fields. This accreditation raises the bar for our team and our clients.
It is not an easy task for organisations to balance training needs with the demands of running a business. The time away from the job, the financial impact, and the administration, can all create barriers. I would be lying to say we get it right all the time, but what I can say without a doubt is that training is supported and valued by the leaders at Make it Clear. We are continually tweaking and improving our policies because we value our team and know that skilled employees are more productive and more innovative, and this translates to happier clients.
