Role of training in employee development and retention
When hiring workforce, almost every organization looks for involved, committed, effective and productive employees. But not every organization understands that you have to work to build your workforce for it and it requires lot of planning and commitment along with strategies and policies to go with it.
Organizations who invest in building their workforce usually have well tested strategies working for them. These include:
- Providing tools for increasing productivity of new employees
- Defining competencies at all levels and then providing development paths to master those competencies
- Challenging employees with opportunities and building their confidence
- Improving managerial and interpersonal skills
- Stimulate continuous career growth and skill development
- Encouraging collaborative team effort and unleash team synergy
Employee development opportunities are of top importance for employees when they think about next step in their career and if they want to stay with their current employer or go elsewhere. Investing in employee’s future is of great importance and helps to improve retention. Continuous employee development not only leads to better productivity, but also helps to earn employees loyalty. Employees tend to stay with the organizations that care for them, not only in good times, but difficult times as well.
Training can play a huge role when organizations strategize on creating development opportunities for their employees. Right employee training at the right time provides employers big return on investment. It helps employers get increased productivity, commitment, knowledge and loyalty from their workforce.
Companies can plan for various types of trainings depending upon the options which provide big payoffs for them. For example:
- New hire orientation helps employees getting acclimated with company procedures and also helps them understand the company culture better
- Legal and compliance trainings helps in being good corporate citizens
- Tools and technology trainings increases productivity
- Training on new company products to keep up with pace of change
- Seminars, workshops and classes for other opportunities and development
Training should be considered critical for ongoing development, success and retention of employees. In order to support continuous learning and development for their employees, employers need to create and foster an organization wide learning environment, offer support for learning within the organization, provide access to professional library or knowledge repositories, offer tuition reimbursement, etc.