Five Ways Businesses Can Use Professional Learning To Boost Retention

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Five Ways Businesses Can Use Professional Learning To Boost Retention

Chris Ball is the President and COO of Instructure, an ed-tech company that makes Canvas LMS and products serving K-12 and higher education.

Hiring workers with the right skill set has never been easy, but as AI and other technologies disrupt almost every job, it’s getting even harder. It’s estimated half of all workers will need reskilling and upskilling by 2025 (pg. 6). As I talk to business leaders, this is one of their top concerns. Stats show companies are approaching reskilling and upskilling with more urgency; around 40% of workers were estimated to require reskilling as of 2020 (pg. 5).

Invest in employees through upskilling.

As companies navigate uncertainty and pull back in investments, unfortunately, one of the areas many cut back on is employee development, which can contribute to dissatisfaction as employees feel they don’t have a path for growth within their own company.

So, how can employers give employees more reasons to stay and contribute their talents? Investing in upskilling leads to employees who are more engaged and satisfied. In 2022, quitting accounted for a staggering 70% of all job separations. Clearly, professional development is about more than increased efficiency. Here are five ways business leaders can ensure their workforce keeps pace with their ever-evolving needs.

1. Make learning a core value of your organization.

Job descriptions aren’t static, and keeping up with constant innovation requires dedication to lifelong learning from the workforce as a whole. Establishing a culture of professional growth attracts and retains agile candidates hungry for advancement.

But changing culture isn’t easy. It requires internal support and weaving upskilling into the workday. Some of the most innovative companies integrate learning into regular meetings. Consider introducing mobile microlearning opportunities rather than sporadic seminars. Whether at all-hands meetings or casual check-ins, learning should be a constant topic of conversation.

2. Set the tone with onboarding.

Today’s workers expect on-the-job learning. Communicate a shared vision from day one with engaging, interactive onboarding. From onboarding to ongoing professional development, adopting a learning management system with powerful content creation tools will boost employees’ engagement and desire to learn. Upskill—and reskill—staff at scale with a one-stop learning hub.

3. Empower employees with “horizontal” advancement.

Upskilling should offer horizontal advancement as well as vertical. As employees identify a lack of advancement opportunities as the reason for leaving, alternative paths to build upon existing skill sets can operate as incentives to stay within a company. According to a 2022 study by McKinsey, 41% of individuals left their jobs due to “a lack of career development and advancement.”

However, more and more organizations are becoming flatter, meaning there are fewer leadership roles. But this shouldn’t mean there are fewer growth opportunities. Giving employees chances to move laterally across the organization allows them to explore different sides of the business and gain valuable experience that could help advance their careers. It’s a mistake to view career progression as vertical only. When I think of my career, some of the greatest growth happened when I took on new responsibilities within my current job.

The majority of candidates rank professional development as a top perk when evaluating a new job opportunity. Expose employees to various avenues for advancement—whether vertical or horizontal—by organizing corporate learning opportunities in one centralized place and empowering them with choice.

4. Match with mentors.

Collaboration is at the heart of work, and learning should be, too. Ensure your employees aren’t learning in a vacuum by matching them with a mentor (and not necessarily their manager). Mentorship programs—even remote ones—are highly sought after by today’s workers and improve retention and engagement.

For example, mentorship programs can provide an outlet for support, problem-solving, professional development and belonging. This internal resource can serve as a safe space for employees to seek guidance on matters specific to the organization with other people who work within it. With frequent check-ins, mentors can assess progress regularly and reinforce your corporate learning culture.

5. Partner with universities.

People of all ages require ongoing skill development to navigate today’s workplace effectively. While the time required for students to matriculate through a degree program was once a concern for industries with high workforce demand, education has since evolved.

Higher education institutions are expanding beyond the traditional four-year model and are attracting lifelong learners who also value bite-sized education and skills-based opportunities. Longer lifespans have resulted in workers having longer, more diverse careers. A student’s career is now likely to evolve as their skill set changes and grows, requiring them to reskill or upskill at various points throughout their lives. This shift in learner expectations has led higher education institutions to reimagine how education is delivered.

From college-to-career pipelines and apprenticeships to digital badges and credentialing programs, university partnerships offer a promising return on investment. Some of the most innovative companies have developed relationships with universities in an effort to train their future workforce. They can also give existing employees a chance to learn new skills through upskilling.

For instance, after evaluating its employee base and their upskilling needs, FedEx saw the need to create a pathway to college admission for its existing employees—regardless of their educational history. The company partnered with the University of Memphis (UofM) to create Learning Inspired by FedEx (LiFE), a program that allows employees to earn a bachelor’s degree fully online at UofM with no out-of-pocket costs.

Prior to this initiative, FedEx experienced extensive reskilling costs related to more than 90% turnover annually. Five years later, more than 80% of its graduates have advanced at FedEx, the program has grown to a broader FedEx population across the U.S. and the program’s success has turned the initiative into both a recruitment and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative.

Partnerships like these help organizations meet today’s busy learners right where they are and provide the resources to get them where they want to go.


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