Worker Training Growing
Even though it’s summer break for most students, an increasing number of employees are entering the classroom.
According to a recently released research, nearly one third (31 percent) of CFOs reported that their companies have increased their company’s professional development budget in 2017. Only 11 percent stated a decrease in professional development funding.
“Professional development goes beyond a simple training curriculum or individual performance improvement,” says Tim Hird, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. “The chance to learn and grow with a company is a key competitive differentiator for recruiting and retaining staff who want to continually improve their skills. Businesses that fail to provide training and ongoing development programs risk losing out on top performers.”
The survey, conducted on behalf of the staffing firm Robert Half Management Resources, found that 63 percent of employees in the financial and accounting sectors received training in regulatory compliance, 57 percent in technology or software, 56 percent in technical skills and 54 percent in other soft skills.
Companies looking to offer professional development outside a traditional classroom setting have some additional options.
Inviting guest speakers from outside the company to share insights is one way to expose employees to new ideas. Mentorships by senior professionals is a time-tested way for both junior an senior employees to learn from one another.
Job rotations – which place different staff members in other departments on temporary assignments – help employees learn new skills while also better understanding the business as a whole. Companies can also create more permanent cross-departmental teams that help workers build relationships with other in the company and learn key decision-making skills.
Consultants from outside the company can fill mentoring roles and pass crucial knowledge on to staff.
Finally, employees can benefit greatly through volunteering. This provides an opportunity to build leadership and technical skills while doing good deeds.
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