LoginEvery organization offers some degree of on-job training, at a minimum during the onboarding process, but the quality of a company’s training program can have a direct impact on the level at which employees remain engaged and motivated. Simply put, your organization’s training and development opportunities, or lack thereof, could mean the difference between employees that stay or leave. In this post-recession era where attracting and retaining candidates is critical, companies should be asking themselves, what separates their training programs from the competition?
As the hiring outlook continues to improve, more candidates are on the move in search of better job opportunities. Surprisingly, salary is generally not the motivating factor. In fact, according to Badgeville, the #1 gamification and behavior management provider, their 2013 Employee Recognition survey found that 76 percent of employees chose opportunities for growth as one of the top reasons they would stay with an organization over financial motivators.
MRINetwork has long recognized the value of continuous professional development and its impact on recruiter engagement through its Certified Professional Programs. MRINetwork’s certification programs serve not only to attract and retain recruiters by taking training beyond routine exercises, but also to send a message to clients and peers that recipients are the best in the business and are leaders accustomed to delivering the highest quality of customer service.
“In the recruitment industry, turnover is relatively common, so we created a whole set of resources for our offices to onboard rookie recruiters and keep them motivated,” says Nancy Halverson, vice president of global operations. “For our more senior recruiters, we created our certification programs to help them achieve and maintain professional leadership goals, and outperform competitors. Now as the organization plans to hire several hundred recruiters worldwide, to respond to industry growth which Staffing Industry Analysts predicts will increase globally by 5 percent this year, our training tools and certification programs will be more important than ever in helping to attract and retain talented recruiters.”
Halverson offers the following advice to companies looking to modernize their training programs:
Routinely take inventory of the materials and delivery methods the company uses to facilitate training. Look for areas that can be improved or updated, and think of ways to make the process more efficient and engaging.
Consider if the company’s training program is versatile enough to accommodate different learning styles and generational preferences. Millennials may prefer a more interactive training experience, whereas Boomers may be satisfied with binders and paperwork.
Research new technologies that can help breathe new life into your training program. If the company is predominately using classroom-style seminars, new hires could be checking out before the onboarding process is even over.
“In today’s job market which is candidate-driven in the executive, managerial and professional space, companies have to do everything they can to differentiate themselves from the competition,” concludes Halverson. “Discussing the unique aspects of your training program during the recruitment process, could be the thing that sets your organization apart.”