Emellia is the Founder and Managing Director of Koukash Consultancy and KC Academy, a full-service communications and training consultancy driving impactful communication through our bespoke solutions.
Lockdowns have created a monumental shift in working practices and made homeworking the norm for many. The long-term impact of the pandemic on the global workforce is beginning to emerge.
From the “great resignation” to organisations implementing flexible working hours, it is clear that human capital and ensuring the workforce’s wellbeing are priorities for organisations worldwide.
While some organisations are looking at reducing hours in the office and prioritising emotional wellbeing, it has amplified a fundamental issue: how do you continue to train, develop and support your employees in a post-pandemic world?
The personal and organisational benefits of professional development cannot be understated: not only does it equip employees with skills that will benefit the organisation, but from a unique perspective, it enables them to feel valued and invested in by their employer.
For instance, at KC Academy, we have worked with numerous organisations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. They continuously commit to upskilling by implementing training programmes that organisations can deliver virtually to all employees.
Yet despite this, a global survey by Deloitte found that less than half of respondents (47 per cent) think that their company is making a significant investment in their professional development, and only 34 per cent are happy with their organisation’s investment in improving their skills and performance.
We are finding that choosing not to invest in an employees’ future can damage employers’ ability to attract and retain talent. Investing in developing new skills and capabilities among employees can drive up loyalty for employers, lead to happier workers, and lead to more satisfied customers in return.
So how exactly can professional development improve your organisation?
We’ve identified three critical areas that non-technical training can improve and that is reliant on being developed by external factors such as training:
- Communication Skills: The need to structure, articulate and deliver the a clear and compelling narrative remains as critical as ever, regardless of your industry.
- New Business Pitching: from senior management to executives, new business meetings require pitch preparation, coordination and delivery.
- Strategic Thinking and Leadership: Managing ‘constructive chaos’ across disciplines, cultures, and even countries is not a new challenge, but it is undoubtedly more significant with today’s constraints. By investing in training your talent, you are ensuring your talent pipeline is robust and ready to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all employees, however many organisations find the development opportunities expensive and struggle to rationalise the long-term value of an upskilled workforce. Despite the potential drawbacks, training and development provides both the company as a whole and the individual employees with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile investment. Your organisation’s biggest asset is its talent, and investing in training and professional development is an investment in your organisation.
Our clients continuously report that employee retention increases following their employees participate in a KC Academy course, and that sentiment is echoing across the training and professional development industry. We have found organisations who fund professional development training programmes see a significant increase in the duration of their employees tenure, and their commitment, productivity and contribution to the organisation.
By investing in professional development – whether that is through 5 or 10 day training courses or virtual learning programs, you are proactively combatting feelings of dissatisfaction in your workforce while broadening your talent pipeline, fostering inclusive cultures, and creating ongoing upskilling programs for the future of your industry.