MIGRATED TO LYNCH LEARNING The 5 Biggest Advantages to Employee Training
Are you a business owner struggling with employee training? You are not alone. It’s a lot to consider; for instance, where you would find the resources. There’s the issue of curriculum development, finding training facilitators, and the fact that you’re pulling employees from their job roles to learn new skills.
Even so, there are upsides to investing in employee training. It’s the surest way to keep employee’s skills current with the competition. It also is a retention tool for garnering top talent and could be considered a robust approach for investing in your organization. Research shows that employees who work for a business that offers continuing education feel valued by their employer.
Some organizations offer continuing education internally, through local colleges, or online training and career development. Others have even gone as far as to provide tuition reimbursement to offset college costs.
Whichever direction you choose, there is no denying that employee training and career development can provide some lucrative advantages for business owners:
Employee training as a recruitment tool. Potential candidates are savvier about their prospects than ever before. They use social media and search engines to determine whether an employer is “the right fit” for them. They assess culture as well as salary and benefits. Candidates who want to remain competitive are looking for tuition reimbursement, and other training and development opportunities, as a way to grow with an organization that values them as top talent.
Employee training as a competitive edge. The world is an ever-advancing array of change. To be considered competitive within any industry and among the competition, providing some form of training gives employees’ current skills a needed edge. Helping employees to keep up with evolving trends in service, sales, leadership, and technology is a valid reason for having a well-trained workforce.
Employee training means more robust employee engagement. For some time, most employees stay satisfied with their positions. Eventually, they will look for opportunities to grow, and if your business offers little in the way of development, they may look elsewhere. There always will be employees looking to expand their professional skills or continue their education as a way to grow. Your company can keep employees consistently engaged by offering them a way to learn solid skills and ultimately contribute to the growth and success of your organization.
Employee training leads to bigger employee contributions. Employees who continue their education or take classes for career development apply what they learn in the classroom to their jobs. Not only does the student have a real-world application for the concepts they learn, but the organization receives valuable insight and contributions from the employee.
Employee training as a retention tool. When a business invests in training for its employees, the employees become more engaged, seek more ways to make contributions and feel valued as a result. Investing in their training is like investing in both their future and in your business.
There are various ways to handle tuition reimbursement. There is always the option to require employees to stay for a specific time after graduating from a program. Any policy concerning tuition reimbursement should be considered carefully. Another option would be to think about online degree programs or classes. Often these online options are affordable and flexible for full-time working students.
Career development and training have such a significant impact on so many areas of your business. It can improve employee engagement, recruitment efforts, and morale; you may wonder why you never thought about it before now.