Why workplace training in 2022 will be more important than ever before

Posted 3 years ago

If you are not moving forwards, you are moving backwards.

Mikhail Gorbachev

This classic saying holds a lot of weight when it comes to workplace training and forward-thinking businesses will already be putting together their training plans for 2022.

Many business leaders are already aware of the general benefits associated with effective workplace training, but there are also a number of reasons that staff training in 2022 will be more important than ever before. Have you already considered training plans for 2022?

The need for strong leaders

Whilst many businesses have thrived throughout COVID-19, it goes without saying that the pandemic has brought about some serious issues for organisations globally. Although we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, we must assume that we will never go back to a pre-COVID sense of normality.

It is now more important than ever for organisations to be equipped with a strong leadership team to ensure that they can manage in this new age of work where flexible hours and remote working are more prominent and technology plays a much bigger role.

Most organisations are far from “business as usual”, and that means that leaders must develop new skills in order to keep up with the evolving ways of work and make sure they’re getting the most out of their teams whilst keeping them engaged.

Fortunately, leadership is a skill that can be taught and worked on.

Organisations must invest in leadership teams to ensure that they are equipped with the skills needed to manage in this day and age.

Just a few examples of skills that modern leaders require are:

A study by Totaljobs found that nearly half (49%) of UK workers had left a job due to a sour relationship with their manager.

This statistic further proves that strong leaders must be equipped with the right skills to ensure that their staff can remain motivated, engaged, and feel valued…

Keeping staff motivated and engaged

2020 and 2021 have been challenging years for business leaders to say the least. Dealing with national lockdowns, having to implement preventive measures of a deadly virus, embracing homeworking, and many more challenges from a seemingly endless list.

But possibly an even bigger challenge for employers has been trying to keep their staff motivated and engaged at work, when some of the core elements of motivation and engagement have been taken away from staff in the form of remote working.

Although it’s generally seen as a positive and progressive embracement, the increase in homeworking has been a negative experience for many, with younger workers actually having more distractions at home (according to the ONS). Additionally, those employees who have had to return to work after a period of working from home or furlough have had challenges when it comes to keeping a positive attitude during these testing times.

One method that many forward-thinking organisations use to help motivate and engage their employees is by teaching them new skills. Not only does this give them another purpose as well as their day-to-day tasks, but it also allows them to expand their skillset and provide more value to the company.

As an employer, you should encourage your employees to try new things and think outside the box, which can be achieved through the use of training courses. Providing employees with training that they are interested in is a great way to keep them engaged. Also, providing them with high-quality training will allow the information they learn to stick.

Ultimately, there are an endless amount of ways that organisations can keep their staff motivated and engaged. However, it is crucial that employers use trusted methods and do not undervalue the importance of a motivated and engaged workforce.

Combatting the ‘Great Resignation’

The ‘Great Resignation is a term that is used to describe the record number of employees who are quitting their jobs amid a post-pandemic rise in demand for better working environments and benefits.

Looking after mental health & wellbeing

As we approach 2022, employers will need to continue supporting their employees to ensure that they’re in a good headspace at work and can be at their most productive. One of the best ways employers can help their employees is by providing them with the tools and skills they need to better recognise and understand their mental wellbeing.

It’s now common knowledge that COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on people’s mental health and exacerbated already existing issues for some…

Overall, research shows that the groups most at risk of adverse mental health outcomes during the pandemic include young adults, women, those with pre-existing mental health conditions, those from minority ethnic communities, and people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. Many of these characteristics can overlap. People with these characteristics were already at higher risk of some adverse mental health outcomes before March 2020; the pandemic has exacerbated these health inequalities.

UK Post Parliament

Providing staff with effective mental health & wellbeing training courses is a stepping stone into a happier and more productive & engaged workforce.

Making staff feel valued

When someone recognises an employee’s qualities or something they’ve done to help the organisation, it makes them feel valued.

It is important that employees are made to feel valued at work because it creates higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and motivation. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in a person’s wellbeing.

Businesses need to pay more attention to this and it is more important than ever before when you consider the number of other challenges that each individual has had to deal with over the last two years due to the pandemic.

Ultimately, employees are far more likely to seek a new job if they do not feel valued at their current place of work. In order to prevent employees from feeling undervalued, employers must do a number of things including:

Paying each employee a fair wage
Offering great employee benefits and incentives
Providing good working conditions
Offer authentic recognition
Encourage employee feedback

Catering to a new wave of Gen Z workers

We are beginning to approach a new generation of workers; the age of Generation Z.

Generation Z, or Gen Z for short, refers to the generation that was born between 1997-2012, following Millennials.

Soon, Gen Z will surpass Millennials as the most populous generation with roughly a third of individuals considering themselves part of Gen Z.

As we’ve seen over the past century, when a new generation of workers begin to make up the majority of the global workforce, expectations surrounding work change and organisations must be ready to cater for the new generation.

A study by Deloitte and Network of Executive Women (NEW) looked at the behaviours, attitudes, and preferences of Gen Z and found…

Gen Z are motivated by job security
Gen Z values salary less than every other generation
50% of Gen Z would choose interesting work over a better paid but less interesting job

It was also found that Gen Z values a strong workplace culture that values career development, training, diversity, and core values.

Additionally, many Gen Z individuals value environmental awareness, sustainability, and solving other world issues and expect their organisations to show commitment to these causes.

Business leaders must understand that they need to accommodate this new generation of workers and actions must speak louder than words. To be considered a good employer, your workforce needs to see commitment to their beliefs.

Providing awareness training to all employees is a fantastic stepping stone on the path to tackling issues that the new generation cares so deeply about. For example, providing Environmental Awareness Training to all your employees demonstrates that you care about your organisation’s carbon footprint, and it also shows your willingness to invest in the issue.

Training as usual

Although there are many reasons why staff training will be more important in 2022 than ever before, it is important that employers and employees alike remember the core importance of workplace compliance.

We all have responsibilities under current laws and regulations. It’s crucial that everyone is equipped with the information and tools they need to ensure these laws aren’t breached and employees are kept safe, happy and productive – which is in everyone’s best interest.

Looking for a simple and cost-effective way to train your employees? Here at iHasco, we have a course library that boasts over 130 accredited online courses that cover:

Why not claim a free, no-obligation trial to any of the courses today?