Why Staff Training Quality Impacts Your Employer Brand
It’s common sense, we all know how important workplace training is for both an employee and employer, however, have you ever thought about the direct impact training quality has on your employer brand image, and ultimately your retention rate?
Although highly overlooked, there’s such a strong correlation between how your employees start off in your company, how they progress and the timescale they stay for, making training and development a significant area to focus on; More so than the typical cultural trends of purchasing a ping pong table or posting about a social event to stay competitive – I promise, focusing on the more important factors will strengthen your employer brand long-term.
Now I understand that quirky, creative concepts attract candidates short-term and allow you to stand out in a heavily saturated market… keep including them to show you are a modern employer, however, you’re not here for short-term success. You’re here to build a strong employer brand that positively reflects your culture, and that is why understanding the importance of training quality is a must!
Why workplace training is important
Boosts employee knowledge
One well-known benefit of staff training is its ability to boost your employee’s knowledge on the ins and outs of your company. As simple as that sounds, kick-starting your employees experience in the correct way is very important. Although this stage begins in the selection process, showcasing and promoting your values and goals through internal training is needed to ensure an aligned understanding is made.
There would be nothing worse than having employees who fail to understand or reflect your values!
Increase employee engagement
Workplace engagement is such a hot topic now, and that is down to the fact it has a significant influence on whether your company sinks or swims long-term!
An engaged employee is one who is motivated, feels valued and involved in the workplace, and has a deeper connection to your company goals – Who wouldn’t want an employee with that level of commitment?
If high quality staff training is given, while also providing effective tools to fulfil a role, an employee will feel more content with their responsibilities, leading to a happier, engaged workforce…. And that is why you need to ensure you incorporate informative and developmental opportunities into your offering.
Now I know what you’re thinking – Why has this got anything to do with your employer brand? Well it has everything to do with it, as engagement, along with progression are key requirements job-seeker’s look for from a company.
Therefore, if you’re providing this to your current employees, along with openly sharing it on the likes of your social media platforms, you’ll stand out from the competition when attracting your next hire.
Employee Retention
A further positive of focusing on your quality is the connection it has with your employee retention targets. As stated above, well informed staff are much happier in the workplace…. Meaning you’ll have staff who want to work with you!
A recent survey found how 94% of 100 best performing companies back the importance of staff training quality, and how this then influences staff turnover rates.
Understanding brand positioning
Along with the impact it has on your culture, it can also help you market your company greater. This can be achieved by educating your employees on your brand message and how you want this to then translate online, into your employer branding.
Not only will you have an engaged team, you’ll have employees who understand how to share company content, and how to represent you through further marketing strategies, such as employee advocacy programmes.
This strategy will then ensure you’re being positioned and viewed correctly in the market!
Case Study: Starbucks – Staff Training on Diversity
In recent news, Starbucks closed its doors in the US to complete Diversity training. Okay so the training won’t change the company’s overall success, but by providing their staff with adequate, up to date information, they have created a united group of employees who understand how to represent the company.
By also promoting this across their social channels, they’ve strengthened their employer brand by showing potential candidates how they promote development in the workplace, along with supporting corporate social responsibility causes. The decision to roll this out across a wide area will ensure quality of service is consistently maintained and that a unified brand message is being communicated.
Now I know that staff training may not be at the top of your priority list currently, however, I hope after reading this blog, you’ll make it a significant focus in your day to day workplace. Along with motivating and informing your employees, it creates a positive level of engagement to then support your employer brand.
If you’re looking for some support on how to get your employer brand out there, contact us today on [email protected]
