Three Reasons to Invest in Employee Development

As a learning professional, I’m a firm believer in employee development. After all, I have spent my entire career supporting and promoting workplace learning. But why should an organization invest in employee development, especially in today’s economic climate? I believe there are three key reasons why this is important:

Commitment to Employees:
Providing opportunities for personal and professional development sends a message to employees that the organization values and is committed to its workforce. As a result, the organization is able to retain talent. Providing these opportunities is especially important in a poor economy, as when the economy turns around top talent will leave otherwise.

Talent Recruitment:
Recruiting new talent is easier, as an organization that invests in employee development is more marketable, particularly in the eyes of Generation Y. As future employees, Generation Y desires an organizational culture where they can constantly learn and be challenged; they view learning opportunities as an expectation, as opposed to a benefit, of employment.

A Skilled, Knowledgeable Workforce:
Investing in employee development builds a skilled, knowledgeable workforce. In challenging economic times, such as these, this is critical to both the short-term and long-term growth and success of an organization. Having skilled and knowledgeable workers results in increased productivity and profitability – a sure-fire recipe for building a strong company focused on profitable growth.

Having the privilege of working for an organization that clearly believes in the investment of employee development, I am honored to be a part of that culture, and am looking forward to continuing to fulfill our Learning and Development department’s mission: to support the growth and development of all employees to achieve individual and organizational excellence!