Whether employers are offering educational training sessions for their staff members through in-person annual conferences and workshops or a virtual webinar series during a shelter-in-place global pandemic, most business leaders will agree it’s a smart move to invest in the career growth opportunities of your workforce to retain their support.
Below, 16 members of Forbes Human Resources Council discuss the prime benefits of online and in-person educational training programs or events, which have contributed to their team’s success and solidified company loyalty and partnership.
Forbes Human Resources Council members share their insight.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. It Showcases Top Talent
Organizations that truly care for their talent recognize that the experiential learning opportunities within workspaces can sometimes be limited. Hence offering in-person or online training programs is a strategic way to bridge that gap and showcase to your talent that their growth is valued. In the long run, investing in developing talent always pays off and is in the organization’s best interest. – Rohit Manucha, SIH AGH
2. It Provides Incentive Values
Offering educational programs to our employees is beneficial because it increases their loyalty to the company as they feel we are giving them the tools they need to not only succeed in their role, but to grow. It also demonstrates that we value them as employees. – Alexis Schuman, Sexy Fish
3. It Results In LowerTurnover Rates
A team that is invested in feels valued, which creates loyalty! I have found both online and in-person training has contributed to team success. It creates a positive career trajectory and has resulted in lower turnover. – Robin Page, Bluedot Innovation
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4. It Encourages Grade A Effort
Regardless of budget, training and educational opportunities need to be a part of every company’s offerings. Providing high-performing, high-potential employees with specialized training or tailored educational opportunities pays big dividends through their increased expertise and loyalty. In many cases, this extends the amount of time they stay with the company by a year or more. – Danny Speros, Zenefits
5. It Shows Transparency
Loyalty is reciprocal. When leaders provide learning opportunities that align with career path objectives it is a fantastic way to demonstrate commitment to employees. When the two are paired together, there is a transparent vision of what these additional learning opportunities can provide in terms of career growth, knowledge expansion, cross-functional training and succession! – Sandi Wilson, FinTek Consulting
6. It Reinforces Meaningful Career Options
Learning and development helps to reinforce meaningful career options and mobility to include upskilling and reskilling. Skill-based hiring opens candidate aperture and instead of competing for talent, externally, you’re investing in talent, internally. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
7. It Boosts L&D Curiosity
Learning and development (L&D) is now a key driver for many people when considering new roles. Loyalty is often seen as one of the main benefits of L&D, but it also helps to attract new candidates. Be sure to highlight your L&D program in your recruitment marketing and feature examples of possible career paths so that candidates and employees are both aware of the opportunities. – Kim Pope, WilsonHCG
8. It Offers Flexible Learning And Networking Opportunities
Most employees are constantly looking to advance their careers, and if you fail to help them, your talent will look for these opportunities elsewhere. People want an upskill learning opportunity that is accessible anywhere and anytime. You also need to ensure your upskilling allows learners to connect with one another. Employees learn best when part of a community. Moreover, they feel more engaged and loyal. – Erik van Vulpen, AIHR | Academy to Innovate HR
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9. It Drives Employee Self-Initiative And Growth
Accessible on-demand training gives employees agency to pursue their career goals, lean into their interests and take their future into their own hands. Employees are much more likely to stay in a job where they feel support and opportunities to grow. Even if they move to a different position within the company, they will stay with your company because they know they have a future with you. – Courtney Pace, FedEx Employees Credit Assoc.
10. It Prepares A Stronger Workforce
Employees today need more specialized and technical skills as well as the development of soft skills like collaboration and emotional intelligence. The best training programs focus on reskilling, upskilling and coaching for both executives and staff. Companies who aren’t preparing their workforce for the future could quickly find themselves scrambling for talent while those who are preparing reap the rewards – John Morgan, LHH
11. It Contributes To Team Success
In a hybrid work environment, getting people together across locations to keep knowledge current is critical. Digital learning gives us the opportunity to learn in the place of work, create connections across teams and identify opportunities for partnership. This increases engagement, builds a learning culture and contributes to our success. Also, who doesn’t love being recognized as an expert? – Jennifer Rozon, McLean & Company
12. It Highlights Long-Term Career Objectives
Employees are in an unprecedented market where company loyalty is at the forefront for retaining key talent. Employees are looking for companies that are not only focused on the bottom line but their long-term career objectives. Offering, recommending and assigning training within an employees’ current and future career interests have made the difference in showing true investment. – Nakisha Griffin, Virtual Enterprise Architects
13. It Fosters Appreciation
Offering training and education will increase engagement because we all know how much that improves the bottom line. If you really want to ramp it up, offer your employees educational opportunities beyond your industry or their core competencies. Help them to expand their horizons. They’ll be forever grateful, loyal and have more depth to offer your company and customers. – Richard Polak, American Benefits Council
14. It Keeps The Company Competitive
According to a recent survey by Amdocs, nearly two-thirds of employees say they would leave their jobs due to a lack of growth and training opportunities. In today’s workplace, offering educational training programs is essential to employee engagement and retention. In addition to helping the company remain competitive, it strengthens employee relationships in a team-building environment. – John Feldmann, Insperity
15. It Aligns Employees To New Areas Of Focus
Not only do we offer learning stipends and access to learning platforms, when we launch new programs and offerings, we pulse our employee base to learn who would like to gain expertise in those areas. We then train employees, aligning them to new areas of focus for the company rather than hiring externally. Those employees then become engaged subject matter experts when these services launch. It’s a win-win. – Nicole Fernandes, Blu Ivy Group
16. It Breeds Knowledge And Satisfaction
Engaged employees are always learning. We rolled out 350 workshops for more than 10,000 employees to embed our corporate strategy. Our skills-based development approach offers on-demand courses to advance expertise and critical skills for career growth. The impact has been tangible. Our people are among the most knowledgeable in the industry. Investment in our people breeds satisfaction and loyalty. – Sharon Doherty, Finastra
