SHRM Study Confirms Value of Training Opportunities in Attracting Employees
August 25, 2022
By Heather Nezich, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE
SHRM and TalentLMS recently released the 2022 Workplace Learning & Development Trends research report. More than 8 in 10 HR managers (83%) believe training is beneficial to attract talent, and 48% of employees agree that training opportunities were a factor in choosing their current company.
Learning and development serves a dual purpose for organizations
- To reskill and upskill current employees to fill business needs
- To recruit and retain talented workers who want to continuously learn.
“Organizations must maintain a steady growth of knowledge and skills among their workforce if they wish to succeed, both from a business standpoint and to attract the right talent,” said Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, SHRM chief human resources officer. “And while some leaders were hesitant to invest in talent during the Great Resignation, our research showed that 86% of HR managers believe that training is actually beneficial in retaining talent.”
Key survey findings include:
- 55% of workers said they need more training to perform their job more effectively, and 38% want training that is more relevant to their current role.
- 32% want training to have a social element, such as peer-to-peer learning and learning groups.
- 32% want to be sure what they are learning is current.
- 31% want more control over the training programs, including being able to choose methods that match their learning style and development opportunities that make sense for their career progression.
- Online/self-paced courses are most popular with employees (cited by 70% of respondents),
followed by online/instructor-led training (63%), in-person learning with an instructor (63%)
and hybrid educational offerings (62%).
When it comes to the soft skills employees want to develop and what employers provide, there are some discrepancies. For example, 61% of employers provide time-management training but only 42% of respondents said this was an area where they wanted training. Employers and employees are more closely aligned around leadership skills: 54% of respondents said they want this training and 53% of employers provide it.
“Workplace training impacts another key pillar of people-centric organizations – and that is employee journey,” said Dimitris Tsingos, co-founder and president at Epignosis, the company behind TalentLMS. “Reinforcing employee experience is a leading training goal for over 9 in 10 HR managers, our research revealed. Showing that L&D is crucial in shaping employee experience and creating a positive and caring culture.”
Organizations should heed workers’ desire to develop leadership skills as well as training in life skills and self-management.