You’ve found the right course, and you know you need to do it to continue to grow your skills, but now comes the tricky part. Getting your boss to foot the bill.
Not all organisations have the budget for staff training, and whilst most will encourage you to upskill, sometimes you’ve got to put in a bit of work first, and convince your organisation that they NEED you to do the training. So where do you start? Here’s a few tips to get you moving:
Understand your boss
Make sure you know who is making the decision about your course. Is it more than one person? Consider how these people like to be approached – is it worth scheduling a meeting and sitting face to face, or maybe an email will do.
Do your research
If you’re pulling together some more detailed information about your course, do your research first. An impulsive 5 minute chat or a hastily crafted email won’t be sufficient. You need to be able to demonstrate the benefits of your training to the organisation.
If it’s a larger organisation and you have a set process for signing off these decisions, make sure you provide as much information as possible so that you make it easy for them to understand your request. You can maximise your chances of getting your employer’s approval by incorporating tangible stats into your research. Calculating the ROI of your skills training will be an essential element to securing management buy-in. You need to demonstrate the specific value of your training and how it can support the overall goals and strategy of the organisation.
What are the benefits? List them out
What are you going to bring to the team? Consider the current skillset in your team, and what you’ll bring in once you have completed your training. Financial benefits can include labour savings, reduction in lost workdays and productivity increases.
You can further outline the benefits to your employer by considering these questions:
- How will the course enhance your existing skillset?
- How will your new skills enable you to make a positive, long-term impact on the organisation?
- How will your new skills help you to better achieve targets/ business goals?
Schedule that conversation!
The last step to achieving your training goal is to set up a meeting when you’ll wow your boss with your comprehensive proposal. Take along all your information including the course, the benefits, and of course the cost. If you have examples of the course material this may help too.
So now you’re ready to show your manager that your skills training is a worthwhile investment. Now all you need to do is convince them to fund it. Ok GO!
Considering studying online? Check out our courses here, or give a Course Consultant a call to find out more on 1300 738 955.
