How important is workplace training to your business

Is your business doing enough to keep hold of its brightest talent? It’s one thing to get them to accept your job offer in the first place. But it’s entirely another to keep them happy, productive and motivated for the months and years to come. Failing to do so, though, can have a negative impact. And it’s important to remember that not all things come down to money.

In fact, there are a number of perks or incentives that can make your employees happier – and less likely to look for another employer. More than half of British workers, for example, say that home working should be an option after Covid-19. But what about the ongoing development of your employees? How much emphasis and attention are you putting on upskilling your staff?

Fail to train, fail to retain

If your business fails to offer training to your employees, you’re immediately putting yourself at risk of losing them. More than half of UK office workers (56%) are prepared to walk out of a job if high quality training isn’t offered, according to instantprint. And this is really dangerous when many firms – more than eight-in-10 – don’t believe they recruit ‘highly-talented people’.

Instead of putting yourself in the position of needing to fill a skills gap, training can be the best of both worlds. First, it can help address your most critical needs as a business. Second, it goes a long way to making your current workforce happier and more valued.

Instantprint’s research also uncovered some alarming shortfalls in the provision of training. The specialist printing company, which creates products like banners and business cards for small businesses, found that 31% of new employees don’t receive any induction training on starting a new job. That’s nearly the same number of employees who admit to leaving a job because no training was provided.

James Kinsella, CEO of instantprint, says of the research: “Workplace training is vital if you want your staff to stick with you and be performing at their best. This survey has revealed a serious shortfall between the training employees expect and what they’re currently getting in workplace training offers across the UK.”

Why do your employees need or want training?

While each employee will be unique, there are some common themes when it comes to what they’re looking for in workplace training. According to instantprint, this comes in the form of skills development and improved personal performance. The good news for companies is that almost all training can be tailored to meet the needs of their employees. So, why not do it?

Kinsella adds: “All companies should offer induction and ongoing training to staff, to help them settle in and achieve a fulfilling career. To help employees reach their goals, organisations should work to provide personal development plans for workers, tailored to each employees’ objectives and aspirations.”

Of course, training comes at a cost – both in terms of time and money. But is it worth ignoring when recruitment can often cost a lot more than retention? The smart business sense says not.

Photo credits: eOffice