It’s common knowledge that attracting and retaining good employees is vital to the health of any ongoing business. Also, few would dispute the fact that employees (as a general rule) want to do a good job. Putting these two ideas together, it becomes quickly apparent that for companies to thrive, they need to do whatever is necessary to help employees do well in their assignments, or risk losing them.
Employers need to realize how common it is for employees to leave if they don’t receive the necessary training to do well in their positions. Research shows that a full 40% of employees who don’t receive the necessary job training to become effective will leave their positions within the first year.
Not only that but to keep them long-term, companies must also offer continuing development and opportunities for advancement. In a Skillsoft survey from the UK, roughly two-thirds of the workers stated that they felt workplace training should continue throughout their career, regardless of their seniority.3
In another recent national survey of over 400 employees spanning three generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials), 70% of the respondents indicated that job-related training and development opportunities influenced their decision to stay at their job. The Millennials had the most significant results, with 87% of them citing access to professional development or career growth opportunities as being very important to their decision of whether to stay or go. 4
Also, a long-term research project commissioned by Middlesex Universityfor Work Based Learning found that from a 4,300 workers sample, 74% felt that they weren't achieving their full potential at work due to lack of development opportunities.
