32% of design and environmental firm leaders and HR managers report that project management training is their firms' biggest training need according to the latest By the Numbers poll, a monthly survey featured in The Zweig HR Letter. 19% of respondents point to marketing and business development and 16% say leadership training is their firms' biggest training need. Other trends revealed by the survey include firms increasing spending on leadership training and drawing on their resourcefulness to provide inexpensive training through existing staff and new media such as webinars and other online training programs.
"The entire project team needs to keep learning and improving regardless of what the economy is doing," says Christine Brack, PMP, a principal with ZweigWhite and head of the firm's in-house training programs. "Clients aren't reducing their expectations for excellent work and project leadership in this downturn. In fact, they're demanding more, since a greater number of firms are hungry for their business. In this environment, project managers are under close scrutiny, with clients watching every move and every penny. When professional service firms cut back on training, they're taking risks with client retention and satisfaction, not to mention signaling that the project team isn't worth the investment."
ZweigWhite is a leading provider of customized in-house training and development programs for architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firms. In-house training sessions are facilitated by ZweigWhite principals who have industry-specific experience and technical know-how. Principals work directly with each firm to evaluate and benchmark needs, then transition that information into a custom-tailor training program that addresses and exceeds the specific needs of each firm. For more information, visit http://www.zweigwhite.com/seminars/in-house.php.
The Zweig HR Letter, a monthly newsletter, covers human resources management ideas and best practices used in today's top architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. Each eight-page issue includes fresh initiatives on how to motivate and retain key employees and offer competitive salaries and benefits, as well as the latest HR legal considerations. For more information, visit http://www.zweighrletter.com.
