With nearly 50% of employees claiming to be bored at work and limited opportunities to learn new skills being cited as one of the top reasons for this feeling, organizations should consider incorporating more ongoing training and educational opportunities into the “work-perks” offerings. If implemented and delivered effectively, ongoing learning and development opportunities have the ability to benefit employees and employers.
With 9 out of 10 millennials citing development as important at work, this employee group especially values the ability to move in a variety of directions and to pursue different learning opportunities. Although 42% of millennial employees say learning and development opportunities are the most important benefit when deciding where to work, less than half say current employers provide learning and training opportunities.
Because people are happier and more productive when they are provided with more engaging work experiences, organizations that invest in providing employees opportunities to learn and grow can positively affect not only engagement and retention, but also overall business performance. Skilled employees bring new ideas and creativity to the job. Moreover, by developing skill sets that fall outside their current job function, employees gain deeper insights into other parts of the company, which improves the ability of teams from different departments to collaborate and work together. Additionally, companies that invest in the skills development opportunities for their employees generally have a better chance of retaining top performers.
At Personify, we promote professional development and continuing education experiences by investing in training that enables our employees to work more effectively, while also expanding their knowledge outside their standard job function.
In 2017, the members of Personify’s Client Services and back-office teams completed their SHRM-CP certification.
“The process of becoming SHRM certified and retaining the certification has been a great value to being a part of the Client Services team at Personify. Because this group assists in specific aspects of the
The Personify Process Improvement Committee is currently working on its Lean Six Sigma certification.
“The Lean Six Sigma Training has helped provide the framework to effectively and efficiently work through process improvement projects. Starting from conceptualization to implementation, the tools guide you through the steps needed to turn a project idea into a reality. In addition, the tools help to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page and staying on track with each project.” — Anna Cutchin, Client Services Coordinator II
Employers and employees can benefit from capitalizing on learning and development opportunities. In order to do so, employers must create a learning culture at their organizations by taking a “pursue what interests you” approach to professional development, rather than a “how to do your job” approach to training. And employees need to take advantage of opportunities to learn new skills beyond their current day-to-day activities.