How do you convince your stakeholders that investing in training is not just another cost, but a strategic move towards greater profitability and efficiency?
The key to getting executives to buy into the solutions you’re presenting lies in building a compelling business case. If you don’t come prepared, be prepared to walk away unsuccessful.
I’ve written this article with one notion in mind: I wanted to create a roadmap to help convince leaders on why training is an investment, not a cost. So, read this over, then steal the framework and present it to your boss. You can thank me later.
1.) Position Training as a Solution, Not a Cost
Identify the problems your organization faces that Pineapple Academy can solve. Is it high turnover rates? Lackluster employee performance? These are costly issues that can be solved by providing simple, quick, and effective training to employees. By offering information in 5-minute or less chunks every day, messaging becomes consistent, organizations can develop standard operating procedures (SOP’s), and knowledge gaps close.
Challenges like stress and anxiety are rampant in our daily operations. These obstacles hinder organizational growth and success. To solve them, we first need to understand that a well-trained team is a confident and resilient one.
Tailored training programs go beyond just skill development; they provide a foundation for employees to tackle their roles with confidence and composure. By addressing the root causes of workplace stress—like uncertainty and lack of preparation—our approach empowers individuals to perform at their best, creating a productive workplace where both people and the organization can truly flourish.
2.) Define Impactful Business Metrics
What metrics matter most to your company? Is it turnover? Reputation? A reduction in workplace accidents?
Pineapple Academy's training solutions are designed to impact key areas such as employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction. By focusing on these metrics, you can measure the success of your investment in real terms.
Showcase the facts: numerous studies show that a strong onboarding process boosts new hire retention by as much as 82%. Going deeper, we can see that training with Pineapple reduces the time it takes for new hires to become job-ready by 40% compared to traditional instructor-led training (which equates to a lot when looking at operational costs and productivity rates).
3.) Understand Cost Implications
Consider both the Return on Investment (ROI) and the Cost of Inaction (COI). With Pineapple Academy, you're not just maximizing revenue through better-trained employees; you're also minimizing operating costs by reducing turnover, avoiding costly workplace accidents, reducing loss of tribal knowledge from employee churn, and cutting down the need for repeated training.
Pulling employees away from their work for training has direct costs that impact operations, so providing training directly in their workflow can easily reduce the impact. Draw out comparisons and look at the overall cost per learner for each year.
4.) Embrace Cross-Functional Collaboration
You’re only as good as your implementation plan. Involve stakeholders from various departments early on. This ensures that the training content you create through Pineapple Academy resonates across the board, fostering a culture of learning and development that aligns with your company's goals.
Something else to consider is how the new process fits into your daily operations:
- How is training shared with learners?
- How will they access information when they need it?
- How can you track usage?
Our customer success team creates a custom implementation plan when you sign up and helps get your training program off the ground and into the hands of your learners.
5.) Conduct a Comparative Analysis
Why choose Pineapple Academy over other learning and development solutions?
You’re bound to run into this question.
Here’s a quick overview:
- Our platform stands apart with its microlearning approach, delivering content in 5-minute-or-less videos that are proven to be more memorable and effective.
- Our training is accessible on any device, anywhere, at any time, through QR codes, links, embedded into software, or streamed through an external LMS, ensuring that learning fits seamlessly into your employees' workflow.
- Admins can easily capture the company’s tribal knowledge and create training that keeps things running the right way.
- Plus, our usage-based subscription is like no other: only pay for the hours you need. Try finding that with another operational training platform.
6.) Highlight the Old vs. New
What's not working with your current training methods? Where are the knowledge gaps? Why are you facing more turnover than your competitors?
Pineapple Academy offers a fresh, innovative approach that's tailored to the needs of the modern workforce. Our platform is not just about making sure your employees meet regulatory compliance; it's about empowering your employees by being consistent and providing the skills and resources they need to be confident in their operations and excel in their roles.
7.) Partner for Continuous Improvement
Training needs to be able to evolve, and so should your training platform. Pineapple Academy is committed to continuous improvement, ensuring that our platform meets the changing needs of your organization and workforce. Your success is our success, and together we can create growth and prosperity in our organizations. Learn more about our partner network right here.
Final Thought
By following this framework and leveraging the strengths of Pineapple Academy, you can create a business case that not only demonstrates the dollar value of your training investment but also positions it as a catalyst for long-term organizational growth and success.
Ready to see how Pineapple Academy can revolutionize your training? Let's talk.