Three-quarters of employers expecting to revive delayed T&D programs in 2013

Management, leadership development top priority

A number of employee development and training initiatives that American companies put on hold during the recession may be revived and implemented in the new year, according to a survey by AMA Enterprise.

Most organizations put one or more management development plans on hold over the past four years; 47 per cent delayed at least one program and 36 per cent did so in several cases, found the survey of 300 employers in the United States.

Three-quarters of respondents indicated that it is very likely or somewhat likely that postponed programs may soon be revived.

More than one-quarter (27 per cent) said it somewhat unlikely or very unlikely.

Mainly due to budget limitations, shifting priorities and lack of resources broader management training programs were often held up, according to Sandi Edwards, senior vice-president at AMA Enterprise.

“The kind of projects that were implemented in lean times tended to be those that met specific short-term needs or were prompted by pressing business challenges. What are expected to gain traction as the economy picks up are programs that are longer-term in focus but equally critical to business strategy.”

Among the stalled programs, both management and leadership development are regarded as most likely to benefit organizations in 2013, said Edwards.

“Companies want to make high-value investments, so I expect we may see more programming in communications, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. They’re all essential ingredients for empowering employees and enhancing productivity. In addition, companies are looking for the most effective ways to manage remote groups as well as synthesize overwhelming amounts of information so it can be leveraged by the organization.”

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