Research released from Coursera shows that nearly 70% of 22-35 year olds value internal training offered by employers as one of their top three reasons for switching jobs.

The new data highlights how small businesses should be prioritising internal staff training in order to keep their workforce satisfied.

Without it, your business could lose out on talented or dedicated employees to businesses that have better opportunities.

Not all small businesses feel that they have the budget or time to trial different types of internal training, so here are the most effective methods you can try.

Dedicate time

Staff appreciate that your time is important. That’s why showing you care about internal training enough to put aside an entire afternoon once a week will show them you’re serious about their futures with the company.

You can get involved yourself to keep up the workforce morale and open lines of communication between yourself and your employees, which will benefit the company in the future. To implement it effectively you need to be dedicated and encourage employees to get involved in the skills they want to learn.

Even if you have a week where you don’t know what to teach, try a brainstorming session to find out what skills staff might be interested in learning. You can make this less like a meeting and more informal by heading out the office and grabbing a bite to eat.

Focus on broad skills

If you’re worried about not spending the money on internal training wisely, use it on skills that would help employees with your business in particular.

For example, most small businesses have employees who struggle handling growth. You can ease company growing pains by training staff with programs that focus on qualities such as time management and changing a work structure.

This way you’ll get the most for your money, however a possible downside is that staff won’t be deciding the training for themselves and as a result may not be as interested in the topic.

Recognise hard work

Once employees have gone through internal training you should recognise their achievements. Otherwise you risk your staff feeling underappreciated and their efforts to become better at their job going unnoticed.

A few things you should keep on top of are; employee milestones, completing qualifications and personal achievements.

Personal achievements might seem irrelevant, but taking an interest and acknowledging an employees’ personal achievements will show your human side. An important aspect of being successful leader!

Has your small business got an internal training scheme? If not, why not? Leave your comments in the section below!

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About The Author

Stephanie Whalley

Serial snacker, compulsive cocktail sipper and full time wordsmith with a penchant for alliteration, all things marketing and pineapple on pizza.

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