A well-structured training strategy can transform the integration, commitment and retention of your talent. Because training is more effective when employees are supported over the long term and when programmes are tailored to real needs in the field. The solution? Diversify roles. Trainers, tutors, mentors, coaches: discover their complementary roles in your training strategy. And how they can radically transform your organisation. Nathalie Bègue, an expert in management and applied neuroscience, explains.
Did you know that 70 % of companies are struggling to grow due to a lack of appropriate skills? Every year, staff turnover costs companies millions of euros (CCI Lyon Métropole, 2024). Employees leave the company because they are poorly integrated, demotivated or looking to progress. Yet a well thought-out training and support strategy could change everything.
📉 The risks of an ill-defined training strategy
And there are many of them. Firstly, the lack of attractiveness leads to recruitment difficulties. Then turnover leads to a loss of know-how. The integration of new recruits is also compromised, leading to disorganisation and lower productivity. Finally, the loss of motivation leads to the disengagement of teams.
Here's what they have to say:
1/ Lack of appeal
"Without clear support, young talent prefers to go elsewhere".says a training manager in the plumbing sector.
2/ High turnover
"Before we structured our tutoring, 25 % of our employees left in the first year".explains a training manager from an industrial company in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
3/ Loss of know-how
"With high staff turnover, we have seen essential expertise disappear".laments a manager in the mass retail sector.
4/ Lower productivity
"Without appropriate training, our new employees take too long to integrate. We lose efficiency".says the head of a major retailer.
5/ Internal disorganisation
"Our workers were wasting time trying to understand our processes before the company introduced tutoring".says one industrial director.
6/ Disengagement of teams
"Without prospects of progress, we lose motivation. Mentoring helps us to plan ahead.says a nurse in a public hospital.
💡 Structure learning and give your teams the means to succeed!
📉 The figures speak for themselves
- 30 to 50 % reduction in turnover after the introduction of structured mentoring (Abonneau & Campoy, 2022).
- +78 % in job satisfaction when employees have the support of a mentor or coach (Trohel, Chaliès & Saury, 2021).
- +25 % in productivity thanks to operational tutoring. (ORSYS, 2020)
👉 Investing in training means guaranteeing a more successful, attractive and sustainable future. Structuring support means maximising the effects of training.
🎭 Trainer, tutor, mentor, coach: the winning quartet in your training strategy
Today, professional development is based on a a learning ecosystem where several positions interact. Here are the 4 essential pillars of loyalty and business performance :
💡 The trainer
It imparts technical skills. It also helps to standardising knowledge and ensure rapid skills upgrading. But it must also adapt its content to changes in the market.
In short, the trainer is like a good chef: he has to adapt his recipes to the ingredients on the market!
For example: in a very small business in the industrial sector, tailor-made in-house training increased the team's productivity by 20 %.
[Also read]
Occasional trainers: why and how should they be trained?
"I should have done this a long time ago! It's not uncommon to hear this reaction when training occasional trainers. How many employees, who excel in their field, are entrusted with in-house training and willingly accept out of curiosity and/or a desire for change? And how many end up becoming discouraged and/or unable to pass on their skills? Experience proves it: they need support to train effectively and get the results they want.
💡 The tutor
It facilitates integration into the workplace. To achieve this, they need to strike a balance between support and autonomy.
The tutor must avoid being that clingy friend who never lets you make decisions on your own.
"Thanks to the training, our tutors now play an essential role. In six months, we've cut the induction time for new employees by 30 %".explains one HR Director (IT sector in Lyon).
[Training]
How do you integrate new employees, share know-how and help develop skills? Being a tutor requires effective communication and appropriate teaching methods. Come and try out the best practices and key tools for tutoring, using real-life situations during the course. Becoming a company tutor.
💡 The mentor
It inspires and supports long-term progress. Like a career GPS, it helps you avoid making the wrong choices. It accompanies and guides the professional and personal development of talent. It also creates a relationship of trust, avoiding bias to maximise the impact on progression.
A mentor is like a career GPS: it helps you find the right road without taking unnecessary detours (good GPSes 😊 anyway).
"Being a mentor means building a lasting relationship with our teams. Our employees look to the long term, which reduces staff turnover", shares a mentor from a traditional catering company in Lyon, trained by ORSYS.
[Training]
Would you like to understand the mentoring process and consolidate your position as a mentor? Would you like to master specific tools while developing your technical and behavioural skills? Discover the training programme Be a mentor.
💡 The coach
It supports decision-making and helps to overcome obstacles, like a benevolent mirror that encourages self-understanding.
"By integrating individual coaching, we have reduced the stress of care teams in retirement homes," says a training manager at a 140-bed retirement home.
[Coaching solutions]
A company's performance depends on the well-being of the men and women behind it. Are you developing a new strategic direction and looking to make a success of the changes you have embarked upon? Find out about coaching solutions adapted to the key needs of companies, such as change management, decision-making, interpersonal relations, motivation, team cohesion, etc.
👉 Structuring support according to the company's HR strategy and challenges
Although each type of support can transform the company, it is essential to choose your focus taking into account the advantages and challenges of each approach.
👉 Structuring support means ensuring that skills are passed on effectively and over the long term.
Each company benefits from structuring its support programmes according to its specific challenges:
- Facilitating recruitment and retaining new recruits
- Reduce integration time, boost productivity
- Reduce overall staff turnover, retain employees with key skills
- Boosting team motivation and commitment
🔄 So which actions should you prioritise or combine to maximise your training strategy?
| ROLE | WHAT THE CARER DOES | OBJECTIVES | RESULTS | BENEFITS | CHALLENGES | COMPANION PROFILE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRAINER | Training on specific subjects | Plans and teaches targeted skills | Rapid and appropriate learning of technical skills | Rapid skills upgrading; content adapted to market developments and regular sessions | Ensuring that content is up to date and teaching methods are appropriate | Domain expert |
| TUTOR | Helps you to integrate and learn in real-life situations; guides you through tasks and skills | Operational support to help you develop your skills in the job | Effective integration | Regular, personalised follow-up; secures and accelerates integration | Availability; avoid over-reliance on the manager | Senior associate, volunteer |
| MENTOR | Helps you integrate and learn; guides you through tasks; helps you plan your career | Professional support and career prospects | Effective integration; support for career development | Regular, personalised follow-up; building loyalty and value | Maintaining a neutral relationship; defining limits | Senior volunteer, experienced |
| COACH | Supports professional goals; shares experience and advice | Long-term development; personal development and leadership | Personal and professional progress; taking a step back and transforming yourself | Tailor-made support focused on development and posture | Frame the approach properly to avoid undue influence | Voluntary, non-hierarchical relationship |
In conclusion, a company that provides good support through a structured training strategy is a company that attracts, retains and performs well. Depending on the issues at stake, you need to combine We'll be looking at how you can combine the roles of trainer, tutor, mentor and coach to boost employee commitment and business performance. So, are you ready to rethink your training strategy?
