Employee training is something that many organizations struggle with. There are issues with adequate resources for curriculum development, facilitating the training and “down” time associated with pulling employees out of their job for a period of time to learn new skills.
I worked for a large nonprofit who communicated to employees that they “cannot guarantee employment, but they would guarantee employability”. What this meant was they would invest in employees to keep their skills current and marketable. They offered different levels of training and employees who had an interest in learning were able to take advantage of continuing education classes that were either facilitated internally or taken outside of the organization.
In addition to continuing education, some organizations offer tuition reimbursement to help offset college costs for adults in pursuit of college degrees or advanced degrees. Tuition reimbursement is considered a great benefit and is also used by organizations as a recruitment and retention tool. Employees feel valued when organizations invest in them.
5 Benefits of Employee Training
1. Recruitment
When prospective employees assess an organization to determine if it is a good fit, they look at the employee benefit package. Tuition reimbursement as a benefit is a draw for employees who seek to continue their education and lack the resources to do so. This can be a determining factor in an employee accepting a job offer.
2. Business Advantage
The world is changing quickly and businesses need to keep their employee skills current in order to be competitive. Keeping up with changing software programs, technology changes, customer service skills or leadership trends are examples of competitive advantages organizations can have with a well trained work force.
3. Employee Morale
Let’s face it, most employees stay satisfied in a job for a period of time and then look for opportunities of growth. When an employee is continually developing their professional skills or pursuing higher education, it gives them hope that there are career advancement opportunities in their future. This can help employees remain positive and contribute to the vision of an organization.
4. Employee Contributions
I have found that employees who are in school often bring back what they learn to the organization and apply learned concepts to the job. This offers value to the organization and provides for real life application for the student. It is definitely a win-win for both.
5. Employee Retention
Employees typically stay with an organization that is footing the bill for their education. Some organizations require students to stay with the organization for a period of time after graduation to be eligible for tuition reimbursement. This can hold an employee with the organization a little longer but can also offer the wrong motivation for staying. This kind of policy should be considered carefully.
When times get tough, training budgets are usually one of the first areas that get slashed. This is an unfortunate phenomenon considering the impact it has on an organization’s recruitment, retention and employee morale.
