Boosting Employee Retention By Offering More On-The-Job Training

image_21When you have dependable employees who already fit in well with the corporate culture of your organization, on-the-job training can help you to retain them when they wish to advance into new roles. On-the-job training benefits the employee as well as your organization by saving you money and expanding the employee’s skills – according to a survey of almost 4,300 workers by Sh!ft, 74% felt that they weren’t achieving their full potential at work [1]. Consider these ways in which on-the-job training helps to boost retention of your most valuable workers.

Increased Retention of Information

When you provide on-the-job training in an environment where the employee already works, the employee is more likely to retain the information. During the training process, employees will see how the new skills and knowledge fit into what needs to be done in their existing job or in a future role that they wish to fulfill. Your employees will even have the chance to practice their newfound skills in the work environment, which further increases their retention of the information.

Direct Application to Job Functions

On-the-job training ensures that your employees learn skills with direct applications. Instead of studying abstract concepts in a classroom that seem far removed from the actual job, your employees will see how the knowledge and skills can be put to use to enhance their productivity, efficiency, or effectiveness. According to this workforce research, your staff members may even find that they enjoy both the training and their jobs more as they progress through the training process [2]. When a person enjoys his or her job, he or she is more likely to stay with the organization.

Enhanced Feedback

One of the biggest complaints of workers is that they do not receive detailed, frequent, or useful feedback from their managers. According to PwC, nearly 60% of survey respondents reported that they would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis—a number that increased to 72% for employees under age 30 [3]. Having both positive and constructive feedback encourages your employees to continue doing a great job and lets them know what needs to be improved. On-the-job training boosts employee retention by providing enhanced feedback. Throughout the training process, your employees will receive immediate feedback about their understanding and application of what they are learning.

 

[1] http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/statistics-on-corporate-training-and-what-they-mean-for-your-companys-future

[2] http://jobs.lovetoknow.com/Benefits_of_on_the_Job_Training

[3] https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/5-Employee-Feedback-Stats-That-You-Need-to-See

Building a Stronger Corporate Culture Through Organizational Volunteering

image_27When people are engaged with the community and participate as citizens, the entire world benefits. Even at the organizational level, volunteering within the community helps to build a stronger corporate culture. As you develop your company’s goals and human resources programs, consider these ways in which you can build a stronger corporate culture through organizational volunteering.

Increased Employee Engagement

Organizational volunteering helps to boost employee engagement with your company. Engaged employees are happier at work and in their overall lives. Happy people are more pleasant to work with, listen better, and offer more positive interactions with coworkers, managers, and clients. According to Open Source Learning, organizations with engaged employees enjoy a 16% increase in profitability, an 18% increase in productivity, a 12% increase in consumer loyalty, and a 60% boost in the quality of the work that they perform [1].

Enhanced Social Capital

Social capital is a concept that addresses how the community sees your company. When your employees are volunteering on behalf of your organization, your name gets out there. The community sees your organization as a positive influence on the community and as an entity that is invested and cares about the people and neighborhood. When your employees see that the organization they work for is viewed positively and thought of as an asset to the community, this strengthens your corporate culture. Studies have shown that socially tied workers have higher levels of trust, are less likely to be opportunistic, and are more likely to cooperate and share information [2]. Your employees will gain pride in your organization and will feel that they are making a difference both at work and in the volunteering that they do as a part of it.

Shared Information and Skills

Organizational volunteering can also boost your corporate culture by allowing your employees to help each other develop and strengthen their soft skills. For example, sorting donations at a food bank and loading them onto shelves allows employees with strong organizing skills and stacking skills to help others. Volunteering in a community garden allows your skilled gardeners to share their knowledge of fertilizers, compost, and seeds with the rest of your staff. The sharing of information and uplifting of skills strengthens relationships, which can extend into the workplace.

[1] http://www.gordontraining.com/free-workplace-articles/productivity-profitability/#

[2] http://www.globoforce.com/gfblog/2015/social-capital-what-it-is-why-your-employees-need-it/