Are Training and Learning Programs Missing From Your Employee Experience Strategy?

The shift to remote work and the growth of the distributed workforce is pushing companies to re-think and improve their employee experience strategy. A recent survey conducted by Human Capital Management firm Isolved found that 92% of HR leaders consider employee experience a top priority to improve the remote work environment and their employee retention rates.

According to author Jacob Morgan, employee experience means “creating a place where people want to show up instead of assuming that people need to show up. The shift from ‘need’ to ‘want’ is a fundamental change...” 40% of what makes a great employee experience is the culture, 30% is the physical workspace, and tools and technology comprise the remaining 30%.

Employee experience is a journey employees follow, from onboarding to exit. Ensuring that this journey is satisfactory is key to a company’s success.

In this article, we talk about the importance of employee experience and the role of training and learning programs play in improving it.

Why does employee experience matter?

An employee experience strategy is vital for business performance. Without one, companies will fail to engage their workforce, which means they could see 2.5 times less revenue than companies with highly engaged employees.

Organizations that fail to improve the employee experience are also less likely to keep talented employees and reduce turnover. In fact, 51 percent of employees say they are actively looking for different jobs and opportunities.

Companies that don’t invest in their employee experience strategy aren’t providing their workforce with opportunities for growth—and growth is the greatest contributor to employee satisfaction and happiness.

Organizations that pay attention to their employees’ needs will find ways to keep them happy. Satisfied employees are the best brand ambassadors. They build strong relationships with customers, and they also help improve the employer's reputation.

How can you ensure you avoid a negative employee experience?

The first factor that makes a poor employee experience is not having a strategy that focuses on realistic goals and not meeting employees’ expectations. Here are other factors that could contribute to a negative employee experience.

Most employees say that having a bad manager is one of the top factors that makes their experience unsatisfactory. Employees want their managers to communicate effectively, focus on training and development, manage time efficiently, and cultivate an inclusive team culture.
Employees also find the use of clunky HR tech frustrating — they seek technology that works well and helps them be productive. Overloading employees with technology is also counterproductive.
Alack of training and development opportunities is another factor that affects employee experience negatively. This is a major issue in today’s business world, as approximately 59 percent of employees claim they had no workplace training and that most of their skills were self-taught. 360Learning’s survey, What do Your Learners Really Want? Found similar results—you can grab a copy below.

What makes a positive employee experience?

Until recently, HR professionals thought perks mattered most to the employee experience, but today that is far from the truth. Delivering a positive employee experience is about much more than a good salary, having free food and drinks, or providing games—it is about seeing the world through the eyes of the employee and integrating the employee's experiences into every HR process. This will foster a workplace culture where employees feel part of the company.

To build an employee experience that is great, companies must consider building a culture that aligns with the real needs and priorities of employees.

Here are five key factors employees consider essential to a good experience:

Recognition

69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were being recognized. Feeling valued and appreciated is key to giving employees a sense of purpose, and that has a positive impact on their experience.

Psychological safety

89% of employees say psychological safety is the absence of interpersonal fear, is essential. It gives employees the freedom to speak up about work-relevant content, ultimately improving employee experience by helping workers feel accepted and encouraged to connect with their colleagues.

Work-life balance

In a survey conducted by Statista, 72% of respondents consider work-life balance a key factor for selecting a job. Employee experience is not only about what happens at work but also about how work affects employees in their personal lives. Having a good work-life balance not only improves the employee experience, it has a positive impact on health and wellbeing.

Compensation and benefits

Fair compensation and benefits are the pillars of a good employee experience. A Glassdoor study revealed that 67% of employees listed salary as a top factor when determining whether to respond to jobs ads and 63% listed employee benefits.

Learning and development opportunities

According to LinkedIn, 94% of employees would stay at a company if it invested in their career development. Supporting your employees’ career growth has a positive impact on their experience. It also increases retention rates, enhances productivity, and improves morale.

Investing in training and learning programs is essential to a successful employee experience strategy. Whether these programs are focused on skills development or language learning, this type of initiative plays a significant role in organizational prosperity, talent retention, and your reputation as an employer.

Delivering a positive employee experience is about much more than a good salary, having free food and drinks, or providing games—it is about seeing the world through the eyes of the employee and integrating the employee's experiences into every HR process.

Supporting employee experience with training and learning programs

Training and learning programs have become vital to any company that is taking their employee experience strategy seriously. Numbers speak—68% of workers say training and development are the most important components to a workplace policy. These statistics prove that employees highly value the ability to improve, strengthen, and acquire skills that support their growth within a company.

Since human capital is one of the main engines of a company, it is vital to offer teams seminars, workshops, courses, and other training programs, because they provide important benefits, such as:

Employee Motivation

Employees need to feel motivated, and while some are motivated by money alone, most prefer an excellent work environment and opportunities for professional development. In fact, not being able to grow professionally is the main reason employees leave their organization.

In this sense, training plays a key role in increasing employee motivation because it can help workers understand the company culture and goals, as well as how important their work is.

Productivity

Productivity is the direct result of the skills and knowledge of a company’s workers. Adequate training allows employees to successfully complete a larger scope of tasks and projects, which radically improves the productivity and competitiveness of the business.

Retention

Workers are more likely to stay longer with a company that invests in improving their skills and providing opportunities for growth. In fact, 70% of employees would leave their job to work elsewhere if their company did not invest in learning programs.

Connection

Peer-to-peer training programs connect experienced workers with those who need mentorship. Besides promoting connections among employees, companies can leverage the expertise they already have.

Company culture

Training is one of the best strategies to improve company culture. Having a clear understanding of the company’s values, practices, and processes helps employees communicate and perform better. In fact, 65% of companies with strategic, holistic wellbeing and training programs saw improvements in their company cultures.

Training plays a key role in increasing employee motivation because it can help workers understand the company culture and goals, as well as how important their work is.

How Learning Management Systems support career development

A Learning Management System (LMS) can play a significant role in supporting your employees’ career development. LMS solutions help HR and L&D managers support employees during the implementation of training and learning programs. These platforms reduce the administrative burden, increase efficiency, and ensure the compliance of your training programs with your employee experience strategy.

Advantages of using an LMS:

An LMS facilitates the creation of a hierarchical system that reflects and describes the skills needed for the performance of tasks.
Employees and managers can use an LMS to easily create clear and actionable follow-up responses after the completion of a training program.
LMS platforms automate processes, such as getting feedback and evaluating learning programs. They also integrate with other talent management systems to allow continuous training.
An LMS platform automates processes that allow workers to acquire new knowledge and skills that create possibilities for career development. HR and L&D departments can, therefore, use in-house talent and avoid the costs of hiring new employees.
Training can be carried out at any time and place.
An LMS offers training for different roles within the same department and for teams across the company.
LMS solutions are easy to use and save time.

An LMS is an excellent tool to support the implementation of training and learning programs, and to improve employee retention overall. These platforms contribute to strategic learning, maximize impact of training cycles, and, ultimately, improve employee experience.

If your LMS is one based on Collaborative Learning, like the 360Learning platform, you’ll have the added benefit of peer-to-peer interactions, efficient course creation, and higher learner engagement rates. You can learn more here.