According to research from Indeed, one of the main factors leading to an unmotivated workforce is a lack of professional development opportunities and fit for purpose workplace training. Restricting opportunities for further developing skills and professional qualities can leave staff feeling anxious to progress and unable to face new challenges.

For businesses, there are a number of myths around training in the workplace. Many employers believe that supporting their employees with training is a bad move, and once they have gained new skills, they are likely to seek new opportunities in other businesses. They also often believe that training is a waste of working hours.

As we enter Learning at Work Week (May 13th-May 19th), it’s important to dispel the myths and illuminate the truths about professional development. The truth is that employee training brings a plethora of benefits to the individual and the business the individual works for.

Benefits to the business include:

  • Improved performance
  • Talent retention
  • Enhanced innovation
  • Positive culture

Improved performance

Employees who engage in professional development gain key skills and knowledge. They are therefore much more likely to perform better in their roles. This leads to improvements in efficiency and increased productivity within the business.

Increased motivation

Employee training is one the best ways to keep staff happy and motivated. By allowing them the freedom to develop professional skills and widen their abilities, this provides employees with a sense of pride and accomplishment. To continue feeling a sense of achievement, employees will maintain their motivation and continue to deliver high quality work.

Talent retention

Through the availability of development opportunities, employees see that their employer values their growth. This reduces staff turnover and encourages the promotion of key individuals within the company. Improved retention rates also result in savings on recruitment costs, as well as initial training fees.

Enhanced innovation

Confident and skilled employees are more likely to contribute innovative solutions and ideas. This in turn, drives business growth and competitiveness.

Positive culture

A culture of learning and development fosters an environment where employees continue to want to learn and excel in their careers. This in turn leads to an increase in engagement levels and satisfaction.

Individual benefits include:

  • Skill enhancement
  • Career advancement
  • Increased confidence
  • Adaptability

Skill enhancement

By taking ownership of your professional development, you will enhance your skills and knowledge significantly more than employees that do not. This will enhance your abilities in your role and support you in becoming one of the more highly skilled members of your team.

Career advancement

Developing your skills through training will make you an asset to your organisation. This in turn, will increase your opportunities to advance in your career.

Increased confidence

Learning and development naturally increase your confidence, as you become more aware of your abilities as well as your potential. This will enhance your overall wellbeing and job satisfaction.

Adaptability

Continuous learning helps individuals stay in touch and up to date with industry trends and advancements. This helps you to stay relevant in your career.

Overall, professional development is a win-win situation for both individuals and organisations, as it leads to personal and professional growth for employees. This, in turn, drives growth and success for the business.

Ways to encourage learning at work

The requirements for learning at work will depend on the business and the employees’ needs and preferences. There are two main types of workplace training that support employee development, this includes external and internal training.

External training

While this can come with an additional cost to the business, sourcing training from external experts is one of the most valuable ways to encourage learning and development. This type of workplace training can include webinars, events, talks, and training courses that can be completed either in person or online. These training opportunities are vital for plugging gaps in the team’s knowledge with outside support.

External training can also be done outside of working hours if this it more beneficial for the business. Online training, for example, is an excellent way for employees to develop their skills flexibly and at their own pace.

Where budgets are limited, it can be beneficial to select one or two members of the team to attend the training and deliver a recap to the rest of the team shortly afterwards.

Internal training 

One of the benefits of expanding your employees’ knowledge is the training they are then able to share with their colleagues. For example, hosting a monthly workplace training session where a member of the team delivers a training session on an area of their expertise is a great way of utilising the talent already in the business.

This can also encourage cross-department rapport, where employees can learn about how the other departments work in the business and have a better understanding of how it impacts their role.

Typically, this training is also free, and will only require allocated work hours to produce and present the training session.

Learn more about how learning and development improves organisational performance. If you’re an employer looking into what DLC Training can provide, access our Employee Development page or download the DLC Training Business Brochure.