Here is a great little lesson on workplace improvement. If you want to improve your workplace, train your employees.
Employee training matters. Paying for employee training also matters.
Organizations should be committed to the ongoing upgrading of employees’ skills, and part of that commitment is paying employees while they learn new skills. This training will make the organization more successful.
It seems that many Canadian employers are not committed to helping their employees learn. According to a recent Robert Half survey of financial officers, only 24% of employers allow professional development during a work day.
Click here to read about this report in more detail.
Daniel Pink, a leader in workplace motivation, believes mastery is a key factor in improving workplace performance. The fact is, people want to have a continued sense of progress at work. This is a desire for mastery.
Click here to watch Dan Pink talk about Mastery.
Let’s think about Pink’s organization performance equation. Organizations want motivated workers; workers want to feel a continued sense of forward momentum. Therefore, organizations who support workers’ learning get more motivated employees.
The logic of Dan Pink’s equation seems simple enough, and it’s worth noting that there is empirical research from Harvard that supports his thesis. The question that must be asked, then, is why do 75% of Canadian employers not support paying for employees to learn?
To improve workplace motivation, productivity, and retention organizations need to start committing to employee development by supporting training. It is time to join the minority.
Discussion Questions:
Investigate and find research that illustrates a positive Return of Investment (ROI) on employee training.
Develop a 3-minute presentation on the added employment benefits of continual employee professional development.