Employees are the lifeblood of any organization, so it’s essential that businesses invest in their employees and provide opportunities for them to learn and grow. This helps with employee satisfaction and retention rates and ensures employees have adequate training and motivation to serve customers well. The following blog discusses the importance of employee training and development throughout the employee life cycle, not just as part of the onboarding process. It also provides some concrete examples of how businesses can provide learning opportunities to their employees.
The impact of employees on performance
Employees, especially front-line employees who interact directly with your customers, represent your firm’s biggest asset available to produce positive outcomes. So, you should invest in your employees to retain them, ensure they have the ability to serve customers, and keep them happy. A happy employee translates into a happy customer. Not only do happy employees perform their tasks better, but they’re also motivated to go beyond to help customers and improve your business through problem-solving and creativity.
The opposite side of the coin, dissatisfied employees, translates into sloppy work, poor customer service, high turnover, and efforts by employees to organize or engage in other behaviors designed to make the workplace more equitable.
Employee training improves morale
Obviously, keeping a happy workforce and all the benefits that accrue takes more than simply using employee training but employee training and education lets employees know they’re valued members of the team and worthy of the expenses involved in their training. This is especially true when you invest in improving the skills of employees regardless of whether the new skills directly impact their performance in their current role.
Some companies, for instance, provide employees with an education allowance they can spend on any type of education, regardless of the relationship between the training and job performance. While this type of training doesn’t impact their job performance directly, it makes for happier employees who are more productive, creative, and loyal, which benefits the business in the long run. Other companies provide employee training to prepare employees for taking on new roles and responsibilities. When Johnsonville Sausage transformed the company, one of the changes involved training-based pay. When employees mastered a new job skill, their wage increased by a discrete amount commensurate with the difficulty of the skill. So, an employee who learned quality control might expect an extra dollar per hour in their next paycheck.
The argument against such expenditures is that newly trained employees might take their skills to another employer. In some cases, employees must reimburse the company for training (or a portion of the training costs) if they leave the company within a short time after completing training. However, employees who leave after training are a wake-up call that other problems exist within the company since no one leaves a company that makes them happy. These employees leave because you’re not paying them equitably or the company culture doesn’t meet their expectations. For instance, maybe their boss doesn’t treat his/her employees fairly or maybe there aren’t opportunities for advancement. Thus, employees would have left eventually, even without the training, while the training might act as enough of an incentive to keep them there longer.
Why your need employee training and education
We have already discussed some of the benefits companies receive from employee training and education. In this section, we delve a little more deeply into these benefits with evidence-based information.
1) Help keep employees more engaged in their work
One of the benefits of investing in learning and development is that it can help employees stay more engaged in their work. This is because they feel like they are constantly learning new things and developing their skills, which translates into an improved outlook and feelings that the company truly cares about them. This keeps them more interested in their work and less likely to become bored or disengaged. Additionally, this also helps them to develop a greater understanding of their role within the organization and how they can contribute to its success while improving their ability to serve customers. For instance, I once did some consulting for a firm that made stained glass for churches and other businesses. They still used the old cardboard templates dating back to the early days of the business. Training employees in CAD/CAM technology made their employees more productive as the process was much faster.
A study found that employees who receive regular training are three times more likely to stay engaged in their jobs than those who do not receive any training. Therefore, it is clear that providing learning opportunities for employees can positively impact employee engagement levels.
2) Improve employee retention rates
One of the most important benefits of investing in employee training and development is that it can help to improve employee retention rates. When employees feel like they are constantly learning and growing in their roles, they are more likely to stay with a company for the long haul. Additionally, employees who have access to development opportunities are more likely more creative and motivated in their work.
Losing employees is a costly situation as the business incurs costs for hiring and training new employees plus new hires are likely less efficient in the short-run than the employees they replace. Thus, reducing turnover improves your bottom line. Employees who feel like their company invests in them are also more likely to go above and beyond for their employer.
3) Increased productivity
Another great benefit of employee learning and development is that it can lead to increased productivity. When employees are constantly learning new things, they are able to work more effectively and efficiently. Additionally, employees who feel like they are growing in their roles tend to be more engaged and motivated, leading to higher productivity levels. When employees feel valued, they’re more likely to work harder and contribute beyond their roles. For instance, they work to solve problems or suggest new ways of doing things that make the company work better when they feel valued.
Investing in employee learning and development is a great way to show your employees that you are invested in their growth and development. To create a more positive and productive work environment, you should research what is learning and development.
4) Improved morale
When employees feel like they are stuck in a rut, it can lead to low morale and disengagement. However, when employees have opportunities to learn and grow, it can lead to increased satisfaction and motivation. A strong learning and development program can help engage employees at all levels and keep them excited about their work.
Employees who feel like they are constantly learning new things and expanding their skillset are more likely to be engaged in their work and have higher morale. Additionally, when employees feel like they are able to advance their careers within the company, they are more likely to be loyal and stay with the organization for the long term.
5) Access to better talent
When you invest in employee learning and development, you are also investing in your company’s future. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, you can attract and retain better talent. Additionally, employees who feel like they have a clear path for advancement are more likely to join your firm.
Investing in employee learning and development is essential for building a strong workforce for the future. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, you can ensure that your company has access to the best talent.
6) Improved customer service
When employees are adequately trained, they can provide improved customer service. Products change over time, as do the uses customers have for your products. By constantly training your employees, you ensure they have the right answers to customer questions and provide state-of-the-art solutions to customer problems. They’re also better equipped to demonstrate proper techniques for using your products.
Investing in employee learning and development is a great way to improve customer service. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, you can create a more positive work environment that leads to better customer service.
Conclusion
In conclusion, investing in employee training is a great way to improve your company. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow, you can create a more positive work environment, improve customer service, and attract and retain better talent.
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