Employers are Missing the Mark on Training and Career Development

Report finds organizations are missing opportunities to improve career development, retention, and employee experience

There is a significant gap between what employees need and expect and what their employers provide for training and development , according to Valoir’s new report, The Future of Learning at Work. Based on a survey of more than 1000 employees in North America and Europe, Valoir’s report shows career advancement is second only to salary for employees when choosing employers, yet most employers are falling short in supporting career development.

“Although employee experience is a key theme and investment area for many organizations, most employers have not updated their training and learning strategies to reflect the needs of employees in ’s hybrid work environment,” said Rebecca Wettemann, CEO of Valoir. “Outdated push training models and lack of support for mentoring and coaching – the way employees say they learn best – are two examples of how employers are missing the mark in delivering on professional development.”

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Career Advancement Opportunities
The report shows that opportunities for career advancement were second only to salary in employee criteria for choosing an employer. All workers ranked it as a top priority, with almost all workers rating it second to salary, except for those 65 and older and those aged 18 to 24, who still ranked it in the top three.
 
Training
Valoir found that few employers receive high marks for training that matters. More than one-third of employees said their employer provided no training that helped them advance their career, and fewer than 20% would give their employer an “A” grade for providing career-advancing training.

Mentoring & Coaching
Employees rank mentoring and coaching as the number one way they learn at work. However, the report shows fewer than 2 in 10 employees give their company an “A” grade for supporting mentoring and coaching. Of note, fewer than half of the companies have any technology to support mentoring and coaching — an important enabler when in-office mentoring may not be possible.

“Optimizing how employees learn is critical to engaging them in their jobs and positioning them for success in their career. Leveraging technology to extend continuing education and coaching and mentoring to all employees can support succession planning and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well,” said Wettemann.

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Soft Skills
The report shows that training in soft skills is limited. Only half of employees say their company provided any technology to support training around soft skills such as communication, negotiation, or flexibility. Only 1 in 10 give their employer an “A” grade for soft skills assessments and training.

Valoir is a technology analyst firm providing research and advisory services to leaders with a focus on the value of people and technology. With deep expertise in customer and employee experience and enterprise applications, Valoir helps clients understand and maximize the value of technology.

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