Employee Learning

Training Magazine released its annual list of the top 125 companies that support employee learning and development.  In the top spot was Verizon, followed by Farmers Insurance in the number 2 spot, and then Miami Children's Hospital, Mohawk Industries and McDonald's, respectively.

Some of the statistics reflected in Training Top 125:

• The average number of full-time and part-time trainers was 232 and 395, respectively.
• Some 97 percent of applicants use employee satisfaction surveys, and 98 percent use competency maps and personal/individual development plans.
• Only 64 percent tie managers' compensation directly to the development of their direct reports.

Yes, employers are training. But training is not the same as learning.

Gallup reports that 49% of employees are not actively engaged and that 18% are actively disengaged.   The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) reports that companies spend $1,067 per employee (2.7% of payroll) to deliver an average of 32 hours of formal training annually.   Are you investing training dollars in employees that have no positive impact to your bottom line?    Remember, you can't force employees to learn, they have to choose to learn.   And if they're not engaged, where is your ROI?

Companies need to invest in their human capital. And where is your best ROI?   It's your top employees.   The best results in training are achieved when employees have the ability and the interest in improving their role.  So identify your top employees and train them!