UK business is suffering from a neglect of training and workforce communication, new research reveals.

The survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers claims that unless improvements are made to training, succession planning and communication, companies will struggle to compete in the global marketplace.

The survey quizzed over 500 chief executives, financial directors and human resource directors. Fifty eight per cent of firms identified learning and development as the most important way of improving employee performance, yet almost half (49%) said their line managers did not spend enough time training staff.

Almost half of recipients (41%) have done nothing to develop succession planning for senior roles, and a further 22% are barely prepared.

These training problems are made worse by what the survey claims are inefficient communication methods.

Almost nine out of ten (88%) companies believe effective communication has a direct impact on the bottom line, yet PricewaterhouseCoopers notes that 92% use the “unreliable” grapevine as a means of sharing information.