In the current labor market, many companies are taking a closer look at their retention practices. When it becomes difficult to find new employees, the importance of keeping your existing employees grows significantly.
Studies have shown that offering training opportunities for employees is one of the best ways to increase retention rates. According to Lorman Education Services, retention rates rise 30-50% for companies with strong learning cultures. However, sometimes it may feel that employees are not interested in learning opportunities. You may offer training, but employees complain about attending. Or you offer a voluntary opportunity and no one signs up.
The problem may not be employees’ desire to participate in learning and development. There may be other factors that play into the lack of response. Here are four questions to ask to improve the interest in the training you offer.
1. Do you have career pathways in place for employees?
Employees should have clear goals within your company, and supervisors should be aware of those goals. What positions are employees interested in moving into? There should be regular discussions about the pathways to move into those positions. What training is needed? What skills need to be demonstrated? How much experience will they need? Discussions about career pathways should become a part of the culture of your company. Being aware of employee desires helps management to offer training that is of interest to employees.
2. Are you giving options?
This isn’t always possible, but giving employees options increases their willingness to take training. Offer training regularly and ask them to choose which trainings they want to participate in. This is especially helpful for employees who may not know exactly what their aspirations are within the company. Encourage employees to try things. Again, build a culture of learning.
3. Is it clear to employees what opportunities will open for them after they complete the training?
When offering training, tie it back to those career pathways. If an employee takes this training, what will the outcome be for him? Will he receive a pay increase? Will he be given more responsibility? Will he become eligible for a promotion? Will it move him forward toward a promotion? Even if it’s a step or two behind a promotion or raise, talk about the steps needed to get there. Make it clear that the training is a step forward (and make sure it is!)
4. Is the training clearly tied to an employee’s current work or the position they are working toward?
Sometimes employees have a hard time seeing the relevance of a training program to their current work or to where they want to go in a company. They may want a promotion, but at the same time, they may not recognize that the training opportunity you’ve asked them to take will be the ticket to getting that promotion. As an employer, you may need to be more direct and open about the connection.
If you’ve struggled to implement training opportunities for employees, take some time to think about why that may have been. What can you do in the future to connect opportunities to employees’ desire to learn?
Don’t forget, if you live in Pennsylvania, there are state grants available to cover the cost of training for you employees.
June is application month and funding is available starting in July. Check out
wednetpa.com for more information. And if you’d like help with creating a training plan for your entry-level employees, don't be afraid to
reach out to us!
Workplace Talent Solutions helps companies stabilize their workforce and impact their communities by successfully hiring and employing immigrants, refugees, and those who don’t speak English well. They provide businesses with high-quality Workplace English classes. They provide Cultural Diversity training for leaders and supervisors. They will customize their material to fit the needs of employers. They offer HR Consulting services for companies and organizations that hire individuals who don't speak English well. They will evaluate hiring, onboarding, and training practices and make recommendations on ways to better accommodate employees who don't speak English.
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