7 benefits of staff taking training courses
In today's competitive and ever-changing workplace environment, employers need to make sure their employees are up to date on latest technology and workplace strategies. Training is one way to help employees gain new skills and knowledge that can improve their performance and efficiency at work.
Training in the workplace allows employees to develop skills and knowledge that will help them perform their jobs better. From boosting their job satisfaction to filling in the skills and knowledge needed to perform higher-level tasks, training opportunities allow them to be more driven towards their professional goals.
Why is straff training important?
Employee training and further skills development is crucial as it represents a good opportunity for employees to grow their professional knowledge, job skills and be a more effective worker in the workplace.
Employee training programs can increase their engagement at work and prevents the risk of experiencing workplace burnout. By engaging them in employee training, this allows them to break up their daily core responsibilities and routine, and challenging them to embrace new ways of thinking. It also allows them to shift their focus onto something new and different.
Employee training also allows staff to be reflective of their professional journey and development and it can even empower them to be more innovative and creative at work. This can even further encourage them to take risks, helping them feel more positive at work.
Top 7 benefits of training to employees
- An opportunity to improve skills and knowledge.
- Training can boost their performance at work.
- They are likely to take on higher responsibilities.
- Improves their productivity and time management.
- Reduces employee turnover.
- Training can improve job satisfaction and morale.
- Motivates them to embrace learning opportunities.
One of the core benefits that come with studying short courses is that it prepares you to be “work-ready”, focusing less on theoretical concepts and more on the practical know-how.
With professionals having a strong preference for flexibility, online learning is becoming a preferred option since they can choose where and when to study. We explore the top training benefits for staff and employees below.
1. An opportunity to improve skills and knowledge
Training allows employees to further develop their skillset and add currency to their knowledge. According to LinkedIn's 2019 Workplace Learning Report, 74% of employees want to learn during their spare time at work.
Taking the opportunity to improve the skills and knowledge of employees not only builds on their professional development, but it allows them to feel valued.
Time can quickly get lost with back-to-back meetings so allowing employees to break away from their usual responsibilities can be productive given that they receive training that is relevant to their role.
2. Training can boost their performance at work
Keeping on top of industry trends and knowledge is important as employee training can build confidence in tackling any challenge at work that crops up.When it comes to their annual performance review, employees looking to get a pay rise or promotion can circle back to when they received training, such as through an online education provider like Upskilled and reflect on their performance and how studying a course has helped them become a well-trained employee.
3. They are likely to take on higher responsibilities
William Craig from Forbes writes, "Encourage continued learning to develop the potential of each employee further." Ever noticed that there are employees out there who do what's expected of them but never really go above and beyond?
By putting them through training that helps develop their skills and knowledge beyond what they already know could encourage employees to take on more complex responsibilities. Sometimes employees need that little push to realise their full potential and providing them with further education can allow this.
4. Improves their productivity and time management.
Studies have shown that productivity in the workplace improves by more than 8% when employees are put through training.
It's often reported that workers prefer training over increase of pay because they know that learning opportunities can further expand their employment prospects.
Complacency in an employee can cost a company thousands of dollars so it's worth investing in training for staff. Gallup reported that disengagement at work can lead to 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower productivity and 15% lower profitability.
In retrospect, ongoing training for employees can save a company thousands of dollars because they are more likely to be engaged in their roles, which can boost their productivity and learn how to manage their work priorities more effectively.
5. Reduces employee turnover
Providing staff training is likely to have a positive impact because it shows that the company is interested in investing in a worker's skills and knowledge, providing them with purpose and growth in their role. A report by EdenRed had found that 68% of workers think that training and development is the most important aspect of a workplace policy.
Putting employees through training not only helps them realise their value to the company but it gives them a reason to stay. Offering training opportunities can promote a positive workplace culture and allows them to feel motivated and productive when working towards the goals of the business.
A report by Insync Surveys revealed that Australian organisations have influence on staff turnover by a staggering 80%. One of the key findings from the same report also uncovered that employees with job enrichment and flexibility were likely to stay in a company, particularly those who were high-performing.
John Barnett, CEO of Insync Surveys, said, “Our research has found employees leave primarily due to the job itself and not for reasons such as pay and conditions or relationships with managers or peers. If a job is inherently unfulfilling or unsatisfying it’s highly likely that employees will look elsewhere for other opportunities, no matter what incentives are in place."
In order to reduce employee turnover, providing training opportunities can promote company loyalty and avoid employees from becoming complacent in their role.
6. Training can improve job satisfaction and morale
Want to keep your employees around for the long haul? Give them training opportunities to help them learn new skills and stay current with changes in their field.Training can help improve job satisfaction and morale. By putting employees through a relevant course that ties in well with their role, it can equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to feel confident in performing their duties. This in turn can bring positive team morale, giving workers a sense of purpose towards their work.
7. Motivates them to embrace learning opportunities.
According to Survey Monkey, 86% of workers said that employee training is important to them and that nearly three out of every four (74%) have the willingness to go through training outside of work hours to help improve their performance.
By motivating employees to continue their skills development , it helps them feel inspired to make the most of training opportunities and move forward with their career goals. Training employees come with plenty of benefits such as:
- Improving overall performance at work
- A boost in self-confidence
- Learning new skills
- Improved time-management skills
- A bump in salary
The top categories of training and development for employees
Employees can undertake many different types of training. Upskilled specialises in offering high-quality curated training solutions in a variety of categories that will help your employees develop on their interpersonal and technical abilities where needed. Below are the top categories of skills development for employees.
Management training
When employees are promoted to managerial or senior-level positions in an organisation, they can undergo different levels of management training. The purpose of this training is to prepare them for the additional higher responsibilities they will have in the organisation.
Inevitably, due to their managerial positions, employees can further their project management abilities by engaging in short courses in project management skills such as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. This can help them manage complex projects from start to finish.
Digital skills training
The digital economy is transforming the way people and organisations work, meaning that many jobs, including managerial positions require fundamental digital skills. These include being able to lead projects, create and work with digital documents, searching for information and being able to protect information online.
To help senior employees advance in their digital skills, employees can undertake certification training in their relevant field of work, whether it's Digital Project Management or helping their organisation champion digital change through agile frameworks.
Let Upskilled help you achieve your business goals
Whether you're looking for further training solutions for an individual employee or for a respective team, Upskilled has a variety of short courses available in business, community services and IT - all delivered online to help your team embrace the flexibility of being able to study anywhere at any time.
Our online short courses can give your employees confidence in being well-equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills needed to keep their credentials fresh. Get in touch with one of Upskilled's education consultants on 1300 009 924 and enquire about your employee training needs!
Editor's note: This article was originally published in October 2020. Content has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.