Skills Consulting Group Primary Logo

5 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Employee On-Job Learning

When it comes to today’s ever-evolving workplace environment, with its constant advances in technology, new system updates, and quicker ways of doing things, the importance of employee training can absolutely not be overstated.

Recently, a survey by US training solutions provider Lorman found that 59% of the workforce believed their employer did not provide enough learning and development opportunities, yet 74% were more than willing to retrain or upskill to remain employable.

With the rapid changes we are seeing in workplace methods and strategies, and the sheer speed of change, on-job learning and upskilling can go a long way towards improving employee knowledge, skills and abilities to perform tasks more effectively – which, in turn, results in many individual and organisational benefits.

So why is there a disconnect between the importance employers put in on-job training and the importance that their employees do?

Here are just some of the benefits of investing in employee on-job learning:

Big Benefits to Employee Performance

Employee training is a surefire way to boost performance within your organisation – as employees should then be able to perform their roles more efficiently and effectively. At the very least, training will help them acquire a more in-depth understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Thus, preparing them to handle even more challenging tasks.

At the same time, training can help to build employee confidence – as they gain a better grasp on their role and your business through improved skills and knowledge, their performance is likely to improve, which again is hugely beneficial for both that individual long-term and, ultimately, your organisation.

Increased Agility

Again, with the global economy evolving so rapidly, the most successful businesses are those that can adapt quickly and effectively. Employee training and development can provide your people with the knowledge and learning they need to keep their skills up-to-date while also enhancing their ability to handle unexpected developments or changes to the way you need to operate your business. Conversely, without this sort of training, employees can remain quite static and unprepared for being agile in the face of a customer’s or the business’ changing needs. Not having that ability to be agile can make your business vulnerable in the face of competition.

By focusing on providing the right training for your employees, you can ensure they learn the skills and the agility needed to adapt to any changes. By training your workforce, you are giving them the tools to deal with a dynamic workplace environment.

Lower Employee Turnover

High staff turnover can have an adverse effect on any business. Not only does it cause significant disruption, it can also result in high costs as you spend more on recruiting new employees. In fact, research shows that a high turnover rate can cost a business up to nine months of a departing employee’s salary, having a huge effect on overall profitability.

Investing in employee training through continuing professional development programmes, competency frameworks and the like, means your workforce will feel valued. And when they feel valued and have opportunities to develop their careers, they are less likely to seek new employment.

Offers a Competitive Advantage

Competition for talent is growing, and employees are well aware of that. When you provide opportunities for employees to develop their careers, you are more likely to keep the best and most experienced employees, rather than lose them to the competition. And, at the same time, you can find you are also able to attract more high-performing candidates who want to come and join your team. People want to work for an organisation that values its people and puts time and energy into upskilling them and helping them develop in their own careers.

On another point, providing training and on-job learning for your employees can also provide a competitive advantage in terms of service delivery and customer support. People who feel valued in their jobs and positive about their work environment will reflect this in the way they deal with your customers – and once again, this can play a significant role in setting your company apart from your competitors.

Develops Employees for the Future   

Not all your employees may be destined, or even interested, in moving on to roles with more responsibility. But, for those who are keen, training and development programmes will help prepare those employees to take on those new roles and responsibilities within your organisation. For example, if they need leadership or management training, you can enrol them in a programme that equips them with the right skills to step up into that new role with confidence and really excel.

On a different note, on-job learning can also help to identify any areas of weakness that might hinder an employee from improving in their work and moving forward in their role. In this instance, a development programme can be a great way to help your people build their skillset and improve both on a personal and organisational level.

So where to from here?

We have talked about the importance of providing employee learning and upskilling – and how it provides opportunities for both the individual and the organsiation. But it is important to emphasise that in today’s rapidly changing business environment, to remain relevant it is crucial that organisation’s prioritise employee training opportunities. Not only will you see improvements in your workforce and organisational output as a whole, you’ll see huge returns in employee loyalty and business reputation.

At Skills Consulting Group, our sole objective is to help you build your business by building your people. Because we are the experts in developing people in the workplace.  

Contact us to see how we can help you find the right learning programmes, leadership development or individualised training to meet you, our team or your organisation’s unique needs.

Was this post helpful?