The importance of life-long learning in the workplace
As two-income households become the norm, children are going to school earlier than ever. Instead of taking kids to daycare, parents are now looking into alternatives that will kick-start a child’s education. In programs like Montessori, for example, kids are entering formal learning environments as young as 3 years old.
Similarly, post-graduate degrees have become essential in the competitive corporate world, keeping individuals in school into their late 20s. So after more than two decades of feeding our brains, why should the learning stop? Just as an education is important to land a job, professional development in the workplace should be imperative when advancing one’s career.
Professional development doesn’t just benefit the employee, however. Placing importance on an employee’s career growth has proven to be an effective method for businesses to retain staff and increase office morale.
“Attracting and keeping engaged and loyal employees is crucial to the success of a business,” says Sarita Harbour in a Houston Chronicle article. “High staff turnover disrupts production and impacts the profitability of a company. A great way to retain staff and nurture employee skills is to consistently and actively promote professional development activities. Encouraging professional growth shows your team you care about their progress and their future, and it inspires loyalty in employees.”
There are many methods to consider when implementing professional development in the workplace. Business owners can choose in-house training opportunities, such as job shadowing or job rotations, or they can foot the bill and enroll employees in formalized classes. The more specialized training or certifications that an employee receives, the more you can boast your company’s know-how and expertise.
“A quality professional development program encourages employees to continue their learning beyond the confines of the office,” says Lisa Bigelow, contributor at TheNest.com. “Networking at industry trade group conferences and with like-minded professionals at other organizations, joining a formal coaching or mentoring program outside of work, earning an advanced degree or writing articles or a paper enhance the reputations of the employee as well as the organization.”
And although some certification programs can cost an employer a pretty penny, sending an office representative to a conference or to a networking event can be an affordable alternative. Organizing in-house team-building events can also serve as a great method for keeping employees mentally challenged and engaged.
NetSphere Strategies holds tight to the philosophy of life-long learning and promotes it office wide. To learn more about some of the certifications or specialized training held by nearly every member of the NetSphere Strategies team, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to have you pick our brain.
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