If you’re considering eliminating employee development, think again

Despite the fact that employee development is one of the most important parts of a workforce, for both employees and employers, some are thinking of disbanding programs to save money or eliminate unnecessary sessions.
Not facilitating employee development programs can be extremely detrimental to a business and the retention of its workforce.
A recent study conducted by Saba’s Global Workforce Leadership found that:

• 82 percent of polled employees feel there is a real need for employer-sponsored development
• 66 percent prefer to be trained by their company, rather than seek assistance from another source
• 76 percent said they believe their company should invest in their personal development

In terms of current programs offered, 63 percent feel as if they are effective and 62 percent said it has caused them to become better employees in their expected job roles. Although these answers are encouraging, only 11 percent of those polled said they actually acquired job skills through company-created training, while 62 percent said job experience helped them learn job skills.
How can employers determine what workers actually need? For starters, asking never hurt anyone.
“Companies need to survey their employees to understand their needs so that they can better serve each one individually and as a group,” added Dan Schawbel, founder of WorkplaceTrends.
Consider asking employees the following questions to determine the type of training or other assistance they may need to work better:

• What are some of your real motivations for coming to work every day?
• What do you love most about your role here?
• What type of career support do you believe would be most essential for you at this time?
• What skills do you feel as if you should brush up on, and what do you feel has become like second nature for you?
• Where do you see yourself in five years within our business?

As these questions are open-ended, they will generate discussion, often spurring the change businesses need the most.
MasteryTCN offers a wide-range of e-learning resources employers can use in their employee development programs. For more info visit masterytcn.com.
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