Supporting continuous employee learning and development could be the key to a happier and healthier workplace.
Calls, assignments, meetings, closing up deals; life in the workplace is not always a walk in the park, especially in this day and age when competition and demand are both becoming so hard to keep up with. As a result, it has become more important than ever for companies to ensure their employees’ mental and physical wellbeing at the workplace. Fortunately, this is now being prioritised and given the attention it deserves by not only HR departments, but entire organizations worldwide!
The recent Learning and Development (L&D) Report by professional search engine findcourses.com revealed that the concept of L&D plays a crucial role when it comes to employee wellbeing and engagement. This not only leads to a greater success and ROI, but also to higher retention rates and satisfaction levels amongst employees. The result? Greater satisfaction and overall performance.
Find out more about several L&D strategies and the ways in which they can result in wellness and engagement amongst employees. Combined with a strong learning culture and a professional approach, L&D could be the key to your present and future success!
How Can Learning & Development Improve Employee Wellbeing and Benefit Businesses?
Employees who feel happy and satisfied at work will be more motivated and driven to work harder, thus leading to a higher production rate, right? It is therefore essential for companies to ensure that this is sustained as long as possible, across all business areas within the organization.
Research carried out on the subject actually shows that professional L&D programs lead to long-term profitability, lower turnover rates, and absenteeism, and significantly increase innovation and productivity. Similarly, these practices also benefit companies through strengthening their overall brand image and improving their acquisition practices and their worker retention levels.
If you’ve ever felt a lack of empathy, high levels of stress or even a bit drained whilst working your daily shift, then it is probably because of low-levels of motivation in your workplace. In the long-run, these can have harmful effects on both you and your colleagues, so if you are feeling this way (or maybe know someone else who is), maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to bring it up with your manager in the next team catch-up and explore ways to improve the situation. Who knows, it could quite possibly change your working experience entirely!
In fact, there are numerous ways in which employee wellbeing can be effectively heightened and maintained, ultimately leading to long-term improvements and satisfaction across the workplace environment. Here are some identified by the 2019 L&D Report:
1. Developing Soft Skills
How many times have you gotten up in front of a meeting and gotten completely tongue-tied? That’s where soft skills training comes in! Learning tools can help strengthen soft skills like communication and presentation skills, meaning you can leave nerves at the door during your next meeting.
As a matter of fact, data brought out from findcourses.com’s report outlines that companies with highly engaged employees are 1.5x more likely to prioritize soft skills development, which could potentially bring about various benefits to all parties involved.
Soft skills training programs will give you the chance to strengthen these skills and build your confidence, while becoming a better person, both mentally and emotionally, allowing you to develop your career within the company.
2. Classroom Training
In an age where technology is constantly advancing and more resources are becoming readily available, carrying out and undertaking tasks online seems to be the perfect answer to the ever-increasing workloads and tightening of schedules, right? However, this shouldn’t discourage companies from providing training to their employees, even if time-off cannot really be afforded.
A 2014 psychological study highlighted this debate, and concluded that undergoing in-house training drastically enhances self-esteem, especially if carried out face-to-face.
In line with these findings is findcourses’ L&D Report, which claims that physical training delivery is much more efficient when it comes to employee engagement. For example, companies whose staff feel highly engaged were 94% more likely to be offering those staff members regular classroom training!
3. Diversity & Inclusion
It goes without saying that diversity and inclusion are two aspects which should always be given importance. A lack of diversity in the workplace will not only result in internal behavioural problems and creation of barriers, but may also harm the business brand itself by diminishing its reputation and core values. As a matter of fact, companies that reported growth in 2018 were seen to be 72% more likely to have high diversity in their organization, as when compared to those lacking it. A pretty obvious choice, right?
Well, although diversity is a pretty good thing to impose, prioritising it should not only be done to safeguard the company’s image and profits, but also because it is a sign of proper modern management that is rightly inclusive and tolerant of everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from. Failure to embrace this will lead to unhealthy and toxic biases which can be harmful to employees and affect their overall engagement, which is why it’s so important to undertake learning & development training. By doing so, you can avoid this from happening altogether and at the same time, incorporate equality further into the company’s wellness initiatives!
All things considered, it is quite evident that by creating a strong learning culture in the workplace through effective L&D strategies, employee wellbeing and engagement can be drastically improved. This will lead to better retention and satisfaction levels and ultimately, to improved performances and productivity levels for the entire organization!