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Fitzharris’ book illustrates the exact solution to the problem we face in today’s workforce, retaining employees with effective professional development. For instance, prior to Lister’s work in germ theory, hospitals were gruesome places where people ultimately went to die. Most budding surgeons couldn’t stomach the conditions and quit before they could begin. However, when they were properly trained on the effective care of patients and sanitization practices that ultimately led to cleaner hospital conditions and a lower mortality rate, those workers saw the good that could be done and how they could work in a manner that benefited themselves, their patients, and the overall healthcare system.
Now that we have systems in place that create better environments all around, the focus on professional development and training as a retention strategy has come to the forefront. Employees will not stay in a job that does not invest in their overall development because they see it as an under-commitment to them as a person. Training and development programs can help retain high-value, hardworking employees in the long term.
Let’s discuss why you should invest in an employee’s professional development with effective retention strategies that work.
Why Should You Invest in Employees’ Professional Development?
Investing in an employee’s professional development shows, in the end, that you value them as individuals, that you care about their growth in the field, and that you’re willing to invest in their career. Here are a few other reasons why you should invest in professional development for your employees.
Employees are eager to learn about the job- When employees first gain employment with a company, they have their work goggles on. There’s a sort of frenetic excitement mixed with a healthy amount of dread as they await their first day. Learning about the job is one way that they prepare. By providing them with supplies and tools to familiarize themselves with the job requirements and the structure of the company, they’ll arrive on their first day willing and eager to listen and learn what their superiors and long-standing employees have to teach them. The truth is that training doesn’t start on the first day of work. It begins in the application stage.
Job seekers actively look for companies that invest in learning and development opportunities- Investing in your L&D programs shows prospective employees that you’re willing to invest in their professional development. L&D as a recruitment tool is an effective way to prove your own investment.
Professional development actively attracts the right candidates- In fact, having the right kinds of programs set in place makes sure that you set the expectation of excellence for your ideal candidate: somebody who sees the value in professional development and who is driven by success and learning opportunities. This candidate will be a huge benefit to your team, so it’s important to set the right steps in place to attract them to your team.
You create a culture of improvement- By investing in professional development programs, you’re creating a culture of improvement within your team and creating an industry standard that benefits the entire niche. By training staff well, you set the tone and expectation that employees will invest their time into the development of their professional skills, both hard and soft. Allowing a space where learning is prized, and mistakes are okay cultivates an atmosphere of continuous improvement.
Learning and Development programs increase employee retention rates- One of the biggest problems that companies face is rapid employee turnover. If an employee can last a year, they’re likely to last five, if not more. 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days. (LegalJobs) This is largely due to cultural or personal differences, but a lot of it can be attributed to a lack of adequate training opportunities. If an employee doesn’t know how to do their job adequately, their time with the company will be short and dissatisfying, not to mention that the company will have spent thousands of dollars to onboard this employee into their ranks, only to have to do it again in a month and a half.
Early professional development invests in future management- The ultimate goal of a company is profit and longevity. One aspect that comes into play with creating a longer-standing company is its ability to retain employees for the long haul. Training employees early on and investing in their professional and personal development throughout their careers creates invested employees who turn into managers and potentially even partners who can help keep the company thriving through decades and even centuries.
Retention Strategies that Work
If the ultimate goal of training is to build high-performing and knowledgeable employees, then an emphasis on that training should be on retention strategies that are proven to hold onto them. Here are a few strategies that will show your employees that you value them while still helping your bottom line.
Reinvesting in your employees- This can look different for every company. Professional certifications are a common way to upscale and invest in your company and your employees at the same time. You’ll create a standard of knowledge within your industry, bring a degree of credibility to your company, and ensure the most well-educated employees available.
Reinvestment doesn’t always have to look like professional certifications, however. Sometimes, it can look like paying for their educational opportunities or company vacations with an emphasis on interpersonal relationships that help cultivate positive working relationships.
Show genuine interest in your team to gear training opportunities- Take the time to learn about them and understand what makes them work well. What motivates one will not motivate another. One's goals may not align with the other's or the company itself. Showing interest in your team enables you to align organization, team, and employee goals in ways that benefit the employee with effective training opportunities.
Offer a variety of professional development workshops- By offering multiple different types of workshops on top of your standard training program, you’ll find one that works for everybody and their individual personality types. For instance, one person may learn better by using video, another by reading, another by watching and then doing. Similarly, one may work best on a deadline, while another needs a fair amount of space and freedom to complete tasks in a stress-free environment. Depending on individual circumstances, timing, and a variety of other factors, different types of development opportunities work for different people. As part of a continuously evolving team, multiple opportunities over their career also prove to be a benefit to them and the company.
Understand their goals and what motivates them- In line with knowing your team on an individual level, it’s important to get a feel for who they are and what motivates them individually in order to apply what you know to a team setting. Working together as a team is a crucial part of retaining employees who have similar goals. If you don’t have a team that works well together, plans will fall apart before they even begin. Knowing who your team is and what makes them work will enable you to find opportunities that help them come together as a team, celebrate their differences, and enjoy collaborating. A happier, more productive team means a higher retention rate.
Invest in personal development courses and information- Personal development is another reason that prospective employees will apply to certain jobs. Most people can’t pay out of pocket for college or other educational opportunities and actively search for companies who are willing to make this sort of investment in their future. It’s so much a factor that top companies spend millions of dollars annually on employee educational development programs. This sort of investment often proves to the employee that you’re interested in them on an individual level, as well as a professional one, and they’re more likely to invest their time into the company long term.
Employees are the bread and butter of the overall growth of a company. They are one of the most valuable assets you have as a business owner, and if treated in a way that shows you value them as an individual and as part of your company, you’ll gain employees who are with you through their entire career.
Consider bolstering your company’s retention of employees by supporting them in their professional development with School of PE courses. You can check out our selection of FE, PE, ARE® 5.0, and PMP® courses here!
