Why we try to learn all our lives?

The basis of creating added value is knowledge. As knowledge spreads over time, its power to create value decreases. Therefore, ensuring that the employees of a focused company are constantly improving themselves is critical to ensuring the continuity of the company.

For example, management consulting companies that work to bring about change in order to contribute to the solution and development of their customers' problems attach special importance to the continuous development of their employees. Because widespread information does not require consulting services for customers. Therefore, consultants should always be one step ahead. For counselors who live by teaching and triggering change, continuous learning is actually a struggle for survival.

Continuous learning is an indispensable element not only for the consultancy profession, but also for the continuity of development and competitiveness in all companies. As with any resource, the development of human resources requires good planning and effective implementation.

Companies that have begun to see the importance of human resources and the need to increase their investments in order to develop this valuable resource, as a first reflex, allow their employees to participate more intensively in the "attractive" trainings offered in the market. There are even those who see how many hours of training they provide per employee per year and share it with the public as an image investment. There are definitely benefits from these trainings.

However, education investments, which come to the fore as a more important investment with each passing year, need to be seriously planned like other investments and try to increase their efficiency. Since "our most valuable resource is human resources," its most effective use should be one of the "most important works" of companies.

There are two goals for companies in planning the development of their employees: to provide employees with company standards and values ​​and to ensure that the person performs his/her duty as he/she should, and to prepare high-potential employees to create added value for the company at other levels by increasing their vision and knowledge.

The first step of education planning is to make the right planning. First of all, it should be determined which current or potential problems the company will face and what competencies it needs to solve them. Training planning yields more efficient results when linked to the company's strategic priorities.

The second step is to measure the expected results from the training. Because unmeasured performance cannot be improved. The most important mistake in training planning is measuring only the inputs, as in many areas whose results are difficult to measure. In other words, the only criterion followed by the management is training-hours per employee. The decisions to be made as a result of this measurement technique are only to increase or decrease this criterion. However, there is a need to develop measures regarding the benefit obtained from the training received, even if it is difficult. Thus, only “how much education?” not only to the question of "how much benefit" and "from whom, what education?" Data that can answer questions can also be collected.

The benefit of the training is provided by the use of new information after the training. Therefore, the preparation of the business environment provided in the period after the training in accordance with the use of new information and the planning of the timing of the training accordingly are factors that increase the efficiency of training investments. The concept of “just-in-time” increases productivity in education as well as in production. The widespread use of technology in education makes it possible to provide just-in-time education at many points.

Another issue to be considered is that training planning should not be seen as an activity that is carried out only depending on the job of the human resources department or the demand of the employee. Because education is only part of people management.

When training planning is considered as a part of both performance management and career planning, it can yield more efficient results. Performance management and career planning are among the most important duties of senior management. Therefore, training planning should be considered by senior management as an investment in performance management and career development processes.

In order to compete with the world, we must use all our resources efficiently and effectively. Ensuring that investments made in order to continuously develop human resources, which have become the most important resource in our age, are also effective, and this process is well managed.