Studies* show that 67% of staff consider leaving their jobs because there is no opportunity for career progression.

With a massive 34% of those interviewed stating that they don’t have any progression opportunities in their current role, is it time for organisations to consider revisiting their learning and development policy?

Recruitment processes are expensive, time consuming and in organisations with a high turnover of staff, demoralising for other employees. Deadlines get pushed back and clients are often put on the back burner when new staff members are introduced into a business.

This is often inevitable, but investing in the people you already have can be a much more cost-effective and future-proofing option.

Are you listening to your employees?

The problems highlighted in the survey could be down to a number of things, such as communication. Perhaps employees and employers aren’t talking to each other. It can be common for staff to feel they can’t voice their opinions to senior management about progression and company policies.

When you consider that 4 out of 5 employees feel that their manager would not act upon survey results, should a staff survey take place, and as many as 52% of managers review survey results but take no action, it’s no surprise that staff feel despondent and a serious lack of support**.

So what can be done about it?

Fortunately many organisations have the right approach to learning and development, offering training in soft skills, IT, management, leadership or any kind of development that will encourage their people to grow, resulting in a loyal and dedicated workforce with skills that are honed to their industry and role.

If you are one of these companies do your staff know what is on offer to them? Are they clear on what they can apply for and when? If not, make it so! Communicate with them to make them feel valued, encouraging them to have regular career development discussions with their line manager in order to create a relationship built on trust and respect. Ensure line managers are encouraging this and looking at avenues to further their team. It may be that even though you have a fantastic benefit like this in place, it’s not being utilised to its full potential because your staff don’t understand how to use it.

But, if you aren’t one of the companies that have an solid training and development policy in place, perhaps now is the time to research it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised about the offerings available. One of our recent infographics looked at the top four ways to learn in 2014. As every organisation and every learner is completely different, the thought of formal, traditional training can be daunting, but things have changed.

Training for the future

Gone are the days where you are forced to sit listening to a trainer for days on end with no interaction. 

And the added bonus of today’s learning and development? Everything can be measured, so, as an employer, you know exactly what you’re getting for your money. You can see tangible results from the investment.

Don’t be one of the organisations with 67% of their workforce thinking about where to find their next job in the New Year, because they want the opportunity to develop their career. Make sure you give your staff the opportunity to develop with you.

*Survey by Kelly Global Workforce Index (KGWI)
**Survey results by OfficeVibe