The post-pandemic workforce has been a wild ride. With the return to the office and going back to whatever normal is, when was the last time you offered employers access to external learning? Or when have you taken the initiative to learn or upgrade a new skill? You don’t want an upset workforce or doing the minimum as a company. The company should implement access to learning opportunities beyond the job. Let me explain the three reasons why access to learning opportunities increases productivity in the workplace. Learning opportunities can include online courses, certifications, workshops, mini-courses, and in-person training.
Sense of Belonging
Employees want to feel like they belong at the workplace and have a sense of belonging. Employees can do all their tasks and still feel like they don’t belong. Providing employees with access to learning opportunities and asking them to complete a course, certification, or even a workshop will give them a sense of belonging in the workplace. Regardless if the employee leaves or you have to lay off folks, you still provide them with learning opportunities that they can take away from their job and be a better employee for someone else. Good karma is good karma, so get that sense of belonging by providing access to learning opportunities.
Growth in their Skills
Employees not only want to see growth for the company, growth in their pay, but also growth in their skills. As a company, if you are not adapting, your failure goes to your employees. If your employees are not adapting to the environment with their skill sets, your company will fail to adapt. New technology and new ways to market your company are coming out yearly. The best way to see growth is to make your employees take courses, certifications, or even workshops to grow their skills.
Reduce Wasted Time
Do you believe an employee sitting behind a desk gets 40 hours of work done consistently? Perhaps there are seasons where it’s the case or professions that do so (e.g., teachers, police officers, drivers), but what about the marketing manager or the account executive? In a study, employees spend 7.5 hours a week checking their social media. Imagine what you, as an employer, can do with those 7.5 hours. Instead of just giving busy work, have your employees take a course to fill that busy time. Of course, make sure the course is related to their job duties. Everyone wins in this situation, and you, as the employer, ensure no time is wasted, and the employee gains new skills that may help your business improve.
How will your company provide access to learning opportunities?
Learngenix provides top-notch professional development courses developed by experts in the field. Check out the hundreds of courses available in subjects like Marketing, Finance, Communication, HR, and much more.
Jay Fulgencio, Ph.D.
Founder & President
LEARNGENIX