Why Software Training Is a Priority

Many factors keep leading companies at the top of their game. But consider this little-known fact: top companies spend twice as much on training than their competitors.

These organizations have insight that others don't. A study from the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), titled Profiting from Learning: Do Firms' Investments in Education and Training Pay Off?, reveals that training directly improves business.

Companies that spent more on training per employee had a 45% higher total shareholder return (TSR) than the weighted average of the S&P 500, and an astonishing 86% higher TSR than firms in the bottom half of the ranking.

With the rapid pace of technological change in the print and advertising industries, software training is more important than ever. We all experience growing demands: competition is tougher, turnaround times and budgets are shrinking, design standards are evolving, new media is emerging, and software required to do the job is more complex.

Organizations and individuals today must work smarter than ever before to remain in the game. Still, companies of all sizes are barraged by day-to-day deadlines, budget cuts, and other issues that need immediate attention, which works to move training to the back burner.

Companies that don't invest in its human capital miss the point of training. Caught up in hot issues of the day, organizations often ignore the long-term benefits of training employees now.

Often executives say their biggest objections to training are time, money and risk. Valid in the short term, these concerns take a back seat when considering the long-term impact a lack of training has on the corporation.

Let's look at these common objections one by one, and we'll see the benefits easily outweigh the drawbacks. First, training requires time, causing managers to push aside day-to-day challenges to work toward the future, and realizing that investment will get them ahead.