How training and upskilling can help businesses combat the ‘Great Resignation’

Posted 2 years ago

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.

In fact, the Office for National Statistics states that between June and August 2021 there were over a million people who moved jobs, with an all-time high of 400,000 choosing to resign.

Ultimately, this wave of workers have decided to change their jobs as they reconsider their work-life balance in an age where flexibility at work is far more prevalent than ever before.

The wave of workers changing jobs is part of a wider movement across the West that has been dubbed the Great Resignation, as employees reconsider their work-life balance in the wake of Covid and seek to find ways they can continue doing their jobs from home.

However, the Great Resignation has left many employers short of staff, particularly if they operate in areas where they can’t offer the same amount of flexibility as other employers.

With that said, there are a number of ways in which employers can combat the Great Resignation from taking hold in their business and we believe that training and upskilling employees could be one of the best ways to approach this…

How training and upskilling employees can reduce staff turnover

There’s no doubt that businesses are in a battle for talent at all levels.

With the Great Resignation underway, employees have developed higher expectations of their employers. And where some organisations cannot compete with the flexibility of other businesses, they must ensure that they are offering rewarding job opportunities.

By implementing programs and initiatives for employees to develop their skills, organisations are making an investment to their future successes.

If staff feel like they are being presented with opportunities to develop their existing skills and learn new ones, they are far more likely to feel engaged with their work and become more motivated as a result.

The benefits of classroom training

One of the most effective ways to learn is a hands-on approach. Classroom training, or face-to-face training, has been the most common teaching method for centuries. It’s proven effectiveness is why so many organisations still use this method today.

One key benefit of classroom training is that employees get to learn together. Where one employee might not understand something, they would have been in the same class as a number of their colleagues who may be able to explain to them.

Additionally, it should be said that a face-to-face learning approach is necessary in a number of areas. For example, first aid training must be delivered this way.

However, usually higher costs and more time consumed has meant that many organisations now opt for a blended learning approach, which sees them mix classroom training with a number of other methods that might be more cost-effective and less time consuming…

The benefits of mentoring

Contrary to popular belief, organisations do not need to always seek the help of an external professional to effectively upskill their staff. Mentoring can play a key role in sharing knowledge in the workplace and there are a number of benefits associated with it.

Firstly, having a mentor in the workplace means that the “learning employee” has a contact that they can ask any questions and concerns they may have. This is a benefit that no other type of training can match.

Secondly, it is very likely that the mentor has been in the exact same position as the learning employee, which can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to delivering the information.

Finally, the mentor also gets the opportunity to develop their leadership skills at the same time as delivering training to an employee. Mentoring gives the mentor an opportunity to direct other employees and ensure they are reaching their full potential in a certain area.

The benefits of eLearning

eLearning has already been adopted by many organisations globally, but its popularity continues to grow for a number of reasons.

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many employers had no choice but to switch to an online solution for their workplace training. However, many of these organisations were pleasantly surprised with the success they found from training staff online.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the eLearning market is expected to reach $398.15 billion by 2026!

This leap from face-to-face training courses has allowed many businesses to successfully train their employees in a number of different areas quickly and cost-effectively. It has also allowed employers to offer greater flexibility with the courses they can provide their staff with.

Additionally, eLearning means that staff can complete their training courses in their own time, which cuts out additional expenses such as travel and accommodation.

You can see how much time and money your organisation could save by switching to eLearning using our free calculator tool!

This article makes up part of our guide to recession proofing your business. Download it for free today!

Online workplace training

Here at iHasco, we support over 10,000 UK clients with our high-quality and affordable workplace training courses. With over 150 courses to choose from, an easy-to-use Learning Management System, and unrivalled support, sorting workplace training has never been easier.

Organisations looking to upskill their employees will find a number of our Soft Skill Training courses helpful, as they are designed to teach valuable soft skills to the user in a short space of time. Some of our most popular soft skills courses are:

Why not claim your free, no-obligation trial to any of these courses today? Or if you’re ready to get started, request a quote today and we’ll be in touch shortly.