Six ways to increase buy-in from staff through training and development

A lot has been written about what employers need to do to keep their staff interested and motivated in the company. If you want to look at how to improve engagement with development among staff, you should start by considering how development is seen culturally within your organisation. Is it encouraged, or is it something that is only necessary if something is going wrong or someone is underachieving? If it is encouraged, there are tactics you can use to build on this to increase receptivity to development and engagement with it even further.

In his book 'Influence: Science and Practise', social psychologist Robert B. Cialdini outlines six 'weapons of influence'.

1. Social proof – People are more likely to take part in a development event or programme if other people they respect have already taken part. In this way you can use the success of previous participants as an example to encourage others.

2. Scarcity – People want things that are hard to come by more than things that are easily available. Therefore if the development has limited places and is difficult to get on to (or over-subscribed), they will be more likely to want to do it. If the programme is open to all, the same effect can be achieved by staging who can go when.

3. Reciprocity – People are more likely to do something for you if you have already done something for them, and they therefore feel a debt or obligation. This won’t always apply to development, but it may in some cases and you should always think about whether there is a key person that you can get to sign up for the development who owes you a favour that will in turn encourage other people to be receptive.

4. Authority – If those who run the development have a good reputation or the programme has been endorsed or sponsored by a member of senior management, it is more likely to be successful as it will seem more credible. It can therefore be a very good idea to ask a member of the senior management team to sponsor, champion or even speak at your development event or programme.

5. Liking and likeness – People have strong recognition for people in their network, or who they feel are similar. If there are others attending the development, or who have already attended, who they like or feel that they are like, they are more likely to take part.

6. Commitment and consistency – If someone has agreed publicly, in front of others, that they will take part, they are more likely to stick to it as people like to be seen as consistent!

Building these six tactics into the positioning of development will increase receptivity to and engagement with the programme.

Recrion is a retention and talent management specialist and devises bespoke solutions for a wide range of organisations. Visit www.recrion.co.uk for more information.