Training is a necessity in the workplace. Without it, employees don’t have a firm grasp on their responsibilities or duties. A company that lacks a proper training program cannot sustain a working business model, because the workplace is likely full of workers who have only a slight idea of how to complete their work.

Underprepared Employees

When a company does not properly train employees, they often have difficulty adapting to and understanding the workplace around them. While they may be able to complete their daily tasks, their performance usually lacks when compared to the more seasoned employees. Workers who aren’t properly trained may become frustrated at their inability to perform at a high level, leading them to look elsewhere for a job or simply settle for mediocre performance.

Stress on Management

A company with a poor training program essentially tells managers to deal with unprepared employees. This can cause stress in management, because managers already have a slew of tasks to complete each day, and ensuring new employees understand how to perform their job is taxing. A manager who takes time out of his daily schedule to guide an employee throughout the day may find himself unable to fully complete his other duties, such as taking inventory and ensuring the workplace runs smoothly.

Poor Production

If someone does not understand how to complete a task or doesn’t understand how to do so efficiently, the business will suffer from poor results in production. For example, if a vending company hires a new employee to stock the trucks overnight, he must know the product that goes into each truck and how to place the product so that the driver can easily access it. If the employee loads the wrong product into the trucks, time must be spent in the morning remedying the problem, which can result in fewer machines being stocked by the end of the day.

Danger

Certain businesses rely on properly trained employees not only for better results but for safety reasons, too. In some jobs, employees who lack the necessary training can be a danger to both themselves and their coworkers. For example, employees in a pizza shop must be trained how to operate the pizza oven; otherwise, they can cause injury to themselves or those around them.

Cross-Training

Some companies provide excellent training related to the employee’s position but poor cross-training. Cross-training refers to training employees in positions other than their normal position. For example, a cashier who’s trained how to run the customer service desk and how to man the electronics department is cross-trained. Cross-training strengthens a company’s ability to compensate for employees who miss time or leave the company by filling their position temporarily from within.