Many organisations are not providing enough – or the right types of – regular training to their staff.
This is according to a recent report by recent enterprise LMS provider Digits, who also found that onboarding or induction training for new starters has reportedly only been offered to around a quarter of employees (25% of senior and middle managers and 23% of non-managerial staff).
While training in soft skills – transferable skills that help individuals work and interact with others – such as teamwork, adaptability, flexibility, time management and problem-solving, has only been offered to under a third (29%).
“Enabling your employees to learn new skills and expand on their existing knowledge is critical for talent retention and business growth,” highlights Head of Talent at Digits, Bradley Burgoyne.
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More training is offered to those with senior roles
The survey shows a clear connection between seniority levels and the availability of training. People occupying senior management positions – such as CEOs, Directors and C-level executives – are the most likely to receive training relating to their professional development, such as technical skills (offered to 49% of this group), digital skills (38%), communication (36%), upskilling (30%), and reskilling (18%).
Middle managers are the most likely to have been offered training related to their position within an organisation, such as management (offered to 48% of this group), diversity and inclusion (34%), mentoring (32%), and compliance (30%).
Non-managerial staff are the most likely to be required to complete mandatory training instigated by their employers – where they may have little choice about the content (50% compared to 36% of senior managers and 37% of middle managers). They are also the most likely to have been offered health and safety training (61% compared to 44% of senior managers and 50% of middle managers), although providing health and safety information and training is a legal requirement for all UK employers.
Conversely, non-managerial staff are among the least likely employees to be offered digital skills (27%) or reskilling (14%) – both of which could potentially help them acquire new skills and progress in their careers.
The underinvestment in staff
“Unfortunately, our research suggests that many employers are underinvesting in their staff and may not be providing enough – or the right types of – regular training to support them in their roles and career development,” says Burgoyne.
“Lack of onboarding is a good example of this. Shockingly, only a quarter of organisations appear to offer an induction programme – something that we know is absolutely critical to creating a really positive employee experience, especially for new starters in a hybrid or remote working environment. We know that people who don’t have a positive onboarding experience are far more likely to leave their organisation. So, why waste the time, effort and money hiring good people, only to lose them because of a lack of focus on L&D?” asks Burgoyne.
Why is it important to invest in training?
Competing for the best talent in the pool is a main reason. “Ongoing competition for high-quality candidates means it’s harder than ever to fill vacancies. So rather than competing for external talent, employers could be reskilling and redeploying existing employees to help fill any growing skills gaps in their organisation,” argues Burgoyne.
An increase into the investment of staff training would not only boost workpace productivity, but may be a major force against the current skills shortage and the Great Resignation.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
- Amelia Brand
- Amelia Brand
- Amelia Brand
- Amelia Brand
