LC Extension

Are you continually scrambling to attract and retain top talent? If so, you’re not alone. Many employers are struggling with employee retention but fail to invest in helping employees grow and develop within their organization.

Incentives like higher pay, better benefits and more flexibility are still important retention factors, but there are other key ways to keep employees motivated and engaged in the workplace, such as opportunities for growth, learning and development.

Studies show an overwhelming 93 per cent of workers say it is somewhat, very or extremely important for employers to provide training to upgrade their skills, and more than half of Millennials (58 per cent) and Gen Zs (52 per cent) say their career success depends on continuous learning.

Survey respondents who consistently update their knowledge say they feel more fulfilled, motivated and accomplished, leading to more engaged, loyal, productive and satisfied employees. According to one survey, the skills deemed most important to nurture include people management, time management, leadership and communication. All of these key skills can be developed through organizational coaching courses.

There are plenty of ways to improve retention through upskilling or reskilling. Online instruction, training courses or certifications, such as those gained through coaching programs, can enhance career opportunities, boost leadership skills and improve the overall employee experience. Let’s explore how to make it happen.

Cultivate soft skills

Soft skills allow workers to be more resilient, think creatively and listen thoughtfully. Soft skills aren’t necessarily taught but are cultivated through organizational coaching programs and other interpersonal and workplace development initiatives.

According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2023, the top five core skills required by workers today include:

1. Analytical thinking
2. Creative thinking
3. Resilience, flexibility and agility
4. Motivation and self-awareness
5. Curiosity and lifelong learning

The skills deemed most important in the report all fall within the category known as soft skills. While technical abilities still matter (technological literacy was #6), the above list indicates that soft skills – also known as people skills or interpersonal skills – are key drivers of success in the workplace.

In fact, 94% of recruiters say an employee with strong soft skills is more likely to be promoted to a leadership position than a colleague with more experience but weaker soft skills.

Developing employees’ soft skills through coaching supports stronger connections between colleagues, as well as increased flexibility and positivity when it comes to collaboration on projects. Taking a coach approach toward leadership enhances valuable qualities that can enable people to advance within their organizations faster.

Overall, developing your team’s soft skills through coaching can help your organization’s productivity – and retention rate – soar.

Make learning a priority

Many workers feel like they don’t have time to learn – seminars can eat up the workday, and lunchtime programs eliminate precious downtime to recharge. That is why it is important for organizations to make learning a priority and carve out time for employees to develop their skills.

The secret to successful learning and development lies in offering a variety of learning opportunities, which allow learners to digest the information in ways that suit them.

Companies that invest in in-depth training see the long-term benefits of increased motivation, team collaboration and retention. If time commitment is an issue, employers can also offer shorter training modules and micro-credentials to enhance skills without demanding too much work downtime that may affect productivity.

Get management involved

Establishing a culture of continued learning and development starts with the leadership team. Managers usually have direct control over their employees’ schedules, so encouraging leaders to make learning a priority is vital to individual and team development.

Leaders often have a strong understanding of the skills their team needs to work on – often more so than HR – so it is important to get managers on board with learning and development initiatives.

Managers who prioritize both their own personal development and team learning and development can share their success stories and collaborate with other leaders on development strategies to create quantifiable goals within an organization.

Leaders should also have discussions with their team about development goals and meaningful learning opportunities during regular performance reviews. Then, follow up with applicable courses to encourage employees to reach measurable and attainable milestones.

Reduce turnover with continuous training

Are you checking the right boxes to drive retention? It’s time to evaluate if and how your organization provides meaningful learning opportunities to keep your employees engaged, fulfilled and on track for growth.

Prepare your managers and employees for success and increase your retention rates with an organizational coaching course from LC Extension at Lethbridge College.

LC Extension can help you develop a variety of powerful learning and development tools to increase employee retention. Discover the best training strategies to implement so your employees remain motivated and supported to achieve their goals.

Book a call with LC Extension today and take your learning and development to the next level.