To quote Richard Branson, clients do not come first – employees come first – and if you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients. But just how true is this of your business? In the training industry, this is the sort of motto we live by. As trainers, we encourage employers to invest in their employees with training programmes and development schemes. And there is good reason for this.

At Solvo Vir, we put a great deal of research into our training topics and delivery methods. We form relationships with our learners and take inspiration from them in order to shape the next course; allowing more face-to-face teaching and encouraging more lively debates, for example. But the key thing we take from each successful training programme, is the impact its completion has on the self-awareness and well-being of each individual. Learners claim to have more confidence and feel more capable of growing within their company.

Third party research into team morale and its impact on businesses confirms this, showing that when employee morale is high, levels of job satisfaction and wellbeing are also high. In fact, a study by the Management Study Guide has found that low morale can be responsible for a number of HR issues that business leaders would do well to avoid. These can include grievances, high employee turnover and absenteeism, decreased productivity levels and a lack of motivation.

But how can you be sure that you are taking good care of your employees? And how could a happy workforce impact your bottom line?

Why team morale is important to your business

Various studies have examined the relationship between team morale and productivity levels. According to a study by Chron for Small Business, when employees feel good about their job, they also want to work hard and accomplish more as a team. Often, these employees invest more emotionally in their job, which means, rather than having a desire to work elsewhere, they feel invested in your company and want it to succeed.

This happiness-to-productivity ratio is quantified by researchers at the University of Warwick, who found that happiness at work led to a 12% rise in productivity. Therefore, it makes economic sense to keep team morale high, keep employees engaged and reap the rewards of an empowered workforce.

How apprenticeship qualifications can keep team morale up

Businesses who do not invest in their staff risk losing valued employees who are forced to leave the company and develop their skills with a new employer. This is further explained in an independent study from technology giant, IBM. The study found that a company loses 10 to 30 percent of its original capabilities every year. Within three years, each company loses 41 percent of its staff. By year six, only 24% remain.

That’s a huge loss.

Studies show that by investing in your teams through training and development, employees feel more valued and more inclined to stay on with their employer.  As trainers, it is important to keep this in mind at all stages of coaching and mentoring.

The most rewarding thing about training employees that may have been feeling deflated in their roles or wondering if there is any longevity with their company, is the feeling that you may just be giving whole teams the empowerment to grow and develop to their full potential. And if we achieve that, we may just be strengthening businesses in the long-term too.

Find out more about effective training and mentoring courses for your buisness, and how you could benefit from a happier workforce.