Training, employee retention, and you

Investing in your staff through training, whether they’re fresh off the street or your longest hire, can be one of the most profitable business moves you make this year. Your employees’ desire for training and development isn’t new, but it’s become more pressing in today’s tight labor market.

Two recent surveys underscore what’s at stake: When Indeed, the jobs listing company, surveyed people who quit their jobs within the first six months, nearly 4 out of 10 said they might have stayed if they’d had more effective training. But new hires aren’t the only ones involved.

A cross-industry survey recently commissioned by Amazon revealed 2 out of 3 employees—across all age groups—were likely to leave their jobs within the year. The cause? A lack of training in new skills to advance their careers. Among Gen Z and Millennials, that figure jumped to 3 out of 4.

The first step to capitalizing on the power of training comes with a commitment to make it happen no matter what. The better the training, the bigger the impact that person makes when they stick around—and the bigger the ROI for you.

These tips can help you and your team train more efficiently and effectively:

Get started early. With full-time employees or seasonal hires, time for critical training grows short or nonexistent when spring rush hits and plants and customers fly in and out your doors.

Don’t put off recruitment and hiring until the last minute, no matter how tough the market is. And don’t delay training once new recruits are in the door.

The extra payroll expense for bringing someone on early can be insignificant compared to an employee who hits the ground running without a stumble—and does it with a good attitude and a smile.

Don’t skip company culture. Call it onboarding or preparation for tasks to come. But communicating your company culture clearly and realistically helps ensure employees successfully contribute to your goals for your business and for them. Culture encompasses formal company values, policies, procedures, and goals. But it also includes informal practices and behaviors, including how employees act and interact.

Effective training reflects a company culture that supports growth and success in the short and the long term for new hires and existing staff at their sides.

Meet employees where they learn best. Maybe it’s audio, video, hands-on demonstrations, on-the-job instructions, or all the above. Don’t assume that young hires want everything digital. Preferences differ within generations, not just between them. With employees who speak English as a second language, materials in their native language can simplify training for them and you.

Though some people don’t mind learning on their own time, research shows you’ll get better responses and results when training happens during the workday.

Don’t forget existing staff. Training for current staff, especially long-termers, often gets overlooked in favor of training your newest hires. As the Amazon survey statistic mentioned earlier confirms, it’s important to protect the investment you’ve already made in your existing staff. Even the most devoted employees can question why they’re still there.

Take your own survey of your most valued staff. What would they like to see and learn and do? If you look to them to train or mentor new employees, consider investing in courses to help them train more effectively.

Nurture special interests and skills. While some company training exercises apply to everyone across the board, your training goals shouldn’t stop there. A long-term employee who has a fascination and passion for technology is much more likely to excel at learning new tech-related tasks—and appreciate the opportunity. Just because someone else has a tech-heavy educational background, they may not have that same zeal and drive.

When nurtured, special interests and skills among your staff can lead to new opportunities for them and new revenue streams and customers for you.

In any kind of training, success depends on two-way communication, regular feedback and rewards. As you’re compiling your training plans for the year ahead, remember that our team is here for you and yours. Give us a call, email, or text—whatever works best for you. We’d love to hear your plans. Maybe we can lend a hand.