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Staff Training Blog Pic
Five Reasons Staff Training Is A Worthwhile Investment
Thursday, 13th February 2020 ThinkSmart Software

As small to medium business owners, you likely know the importance of having help. Employees are more than just a number - they are the assistance and talent you need for your business to thrive. Few companies can excel with only one person. Employees provide diverse perspectives, skills, and other valuable traits that make your enterprise more likely to succeed in the long-term.

Given how critical staff are to making the business work, owners need to reward them appropriately. For most people, the idea of rewarding employees immediately invokes thoughts of higher compensation. Paying people more, you might think, will make them more likely to stay and be happy. However, studies have shown that "general compensation and financial rewards alone may have a limited impact on employee turnover" (Link: Science For Work).

Those same studies have shown that employees want to stay when they feel valued, have career progression and upward mobility, and have a positive impact. One of the best ways to achieve all of these is to train staff. The notion of "training as a reward" might sound a little counter-intuitive, but by investing in training, you are investing in them. In turn, your employees will be more likely to put more time and energy into your business.

If you want to retain employees and keep them happy, here are five reasons staff training is a fantastic investment towards achieving that goal.

Training Reduces Turnover

Investing in employee training significantly reduces turnover. In 2018, a survey of over 100 UK companies revealed that businesses that invest in learning and development have a lower turnover rate and the highest percentage of "highly satisfied" employees. (Link: Independent) Furthermore, employers that spent above the national average of £300 do not have retention rates below six months.

raining helps employees feel engaged and empowered. As such, they are more likely to stay with a company longer. They know the business cares about them and cares about their success. In turn, they want to help the business succeed. By contributing to your employees, you can keep your business running smoothly and reduce the need for re-hiring.

Training Provides A Better Customer Experience

There is nothing worse for an employee than having an angry customer that they have no idea how to assist. As a simple example, imagine the scenario of a retail employee having an angry customer wanting a refund and having no knowledge of how to issue that refund. That situation is stressful for the employee, and it is stressful for the customer. Nobody wins.

By investing in your staff, your customers have better experiences. A call centre employee might benefit from training in diffusing difficult situations. As another example, a programmer might benefit from training in a new language or on another computing platform. Employees can incorporate what they learn into their daily jobs and provide better experiences for customers, which also benefits your business. Training can make the difference between bad online reviews and good ones!

Employees Have More Skills And Feel Valued

There's a blog post in which the author states that they worked for a non-profit that "could not guarantee employment, but could guarantee employability." (Link: The Thriving Small Business) That meant that the non-profit would invest in employee's skills to ensure that they were always marketable.

Few businesses can offer real job security and guarantee that they will never, ever have money issues or other reasons to let people go. However, companies can provide the next best thing by making employees constantly employable. Having skills means that employees need to worry less about downsizing or layoffs, which has significant positive effects on mental well-being.

If you are in a training business (for example, a dance studio or a guitar lesson provider), then chances are your staff loves what they do. Guitar tutors don't just teach guitar for pay. Instead, they host lessons because they love the instrument. They want to share that knowledge! By training these talented instructors, you can help keep that passion burning which, in turn, makes them better teachers for their students. After all, the same guitar lessons will eventually become monotonous, but training in a new style of music, for example, will bring back the excitement.

Training Brings People Together

A training event makes people feel connected and more in tune with the mission of the business. People can discuss it together and think about it. Managers can reference it in their talks as well. Employees feel more connected with the company and know that they are doing the right thing in their day-to-day jobs.

When employees feel connected, they are significantly more likely to report high job satisfaction. If employees think they are in silos, then they're more likely to leave. Training breaks down those silos and provides people with the opportunity to learn and grow together.

You Will Attract Top Talent

By being a business that values training and development, you will be able to attract the highest calibre of employees. Employee training and development is one of the "most sought-after benefits by jobseekers." (Link: ALSCO Australia)

Top talent never wants to be stagnant - if they did, then they wouldn't reach the level necessary to be considered top-tier. If you're going to attract that talent to your business, you will need to show that you are committed to employees' professional and personal development. For most companies, attracting top employees is a must, and offering training is one of the best ways to go about that.

Training Benefits Both Employer and Employee

One of the remarkable attributes of providing training as a benefit is that it benefits the employer and the employee. Employers have to worry less about turnover and on-the-job dissatisfaction. Employers also needn't be as concerned with bad customer experiences. On the other side, employees benefit from possessing marketable skills. Employees also feel more valued, more appreciated, and have more comradery amongst each other.

No matter what size of business you run, ensure that you offer ample training perks for all employees. You'll have happier, more productive people which will, in turn, benefit your business greatly!

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