Diane Bartoli is Senior Vice President at EdAssist by Bright Horizons.
In recent years, companies have made great strides in championing their employees and making them feel heard, a critical part of any successful relationship, whether personal or professional.
Now more than ever, employers are paying attention and listening to what their employees want and need in the way of support—and taking action. In fact, according to Business Group on Health’s 2021 data, 92% of employers have expanded their support for mental health and emotional well-being, and 74% have increased work/life balance programs.
A Lack Of Employer Guidance Amplifies Skill Gaps And Stalled Careers
However, according to the 2024 EdAssist by Bright Horizons Education Index, there are still significant hurdles that need to be overcome, with few employees reporting they’ve discussed how to advance their careers with their managers and many feeling they lack assistance from their employers.
Our research found that only 28% of workers said they had talked with a manager about how to learn new, relevant workplace skills, and only 17% had discussed how to take advantage of company-provided education benefits. Given the current corporate landscape, this is quite concerning, as workers often pursue developing new skills as a way to seek career mobility and stability in times of change.
Yet the road to growth is not an easy one, as many lack direction from employers on how to get there: our research also found that 58% of workers want to learn new skills relevant to their career, but struggle with where to start, with 52% believing it’s their employer’s responsibility to inform or guide them.
Forward-thinking companies that are already guiding employees down a path of growth through further education are seeing proven outcomes. Luckily, for those just starting to embark on this journey, I’ve compiled a list of actionable steps you can implement.
4 Ways To Demonstrate Your Commitment To Employees’ Potential
1. Implement an education benefits program.
Put a program in place that provides your employees easy access to the learning opportunities they need to expand their skills, excel at their job and open the door to more opportunities to grow—whether through education assistance programs or student loan solutions. For companies looking to attract and retain talent, this is now vital as, according to a LinkedIn Learning report, 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their professional development. Additionally, according to the above-mentioned Education Index, 82% would choose a job at such a company over one that did not offer education benefits.
2. Outline specific, in-demand career paths.
Providing a clear overview of the progression of connected roles, from entry-level jobs to the most senior positions, in a visually engaging manner is a great way to inspire employees to upskill to fill critical roles. Additionally, breaking down barriers to entry by offering a roadmap that provides a clear vision of the required education and time commitment for each step will result in more participants, effectively helping solve talent shortages, fill skills gaps and promote internal mobility.
3. Rethink how offerings are promoted internally.
For companies that already offer education benefits, it’s often the case that employees are unaware that they have access to such programs. In fact, per MetLife’s data, 50% of workers said that understanding their benefits better would make them more loyal to the company. With this in mind, it’s vital to consider what media best reach your employees where they’re at. For instance, if your business is comprised of frontline workers, sharing information on your benefits programs over email may not be the best option.
4. Provide managers with proper resources.
In many cases, employees look to their direct managers for career advice and guidance. However, my company’s research found that while managers report wanting to support their direct reports’ education ambitions, they lack guidance on how to navigate these conversations, with 42% saying they don’t have the resources to properly support direct reports in continuing their education. To ensure employees are taking the next step towards pursuing new skills that will benefit the company, it’s vital to set your managers up for success so these conversations are happening regularly.
Final Thoughts
The employers that win the reskilling revolution will be those that not only make education investments to enable employees to learn and advance, but also provide the guidance and support needed for employees to take a mutually beneficial learning leap.
To truly champion employees and help them grow internally, we also need to provide employees with a clear roadmap. This will not only result in a more loyal workforce but also could positively affect the business’s bottom line by increasing employees’ upward mobility and reducing turnover.
Employers that implement programs rooted in developing transferable skills will also help their workforce not only navigate but adapt to their ever-evolving industries.
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