Companies are increasingly turning to training and development as a way to motivate and retain top talent, according to an international survey.

The International Workplace Survey from recruitment firm Robert Half International found that globally, 73% of HR and finance managers believe training is the best way to boost retention in the workplace.

This is closely followed by career development programmes (37%) and financial compensation (31%). Training courses are most favoured in Switzerland (93%) and Luxembourg (91%), while in the Netherlands and New Zealand training appears to be less popular, at 58% and 63% respectively.

The survey of 2,300 HR and finance managers across 13 countries, found that across Europe, managers are using a wide range of techniques to help reduce staff turnover. In Germany (28%) and Luxembourg (26%) managers are looking to get employees more involved in team building activities while managers from Spain (44%) and Italy (26%) indicate a willingness to involve staff in company decisions.

The survey, which also looks at the calibre of new candidates entering the workforce, shows that one in four managers (26%) believe starters fail to adapt to corporate culture during the first three months of their tenure. Managers in Spain (55%) and Luxembourg (42%) are the most likely to see this while in Switzerland and Ireland, managers cite weak communication skills as a more common shortfall, as nominated by 23% and 20% of respondents respectively.