How upskilling is the secret to retaining talent
Investing in the talent you already have can help ward off “the great resignation”
The “great resignation” is an economic trend that has seen a large number of employees moving around the job market.
Employee retention affects every company, so investing in the talent you already have is crucial, explains Ian Stephenson, business development officer with PowerED™ by Athabasca University.
PowerED™ works with organizations to tailor programming and customize learning experiences to build impactful learning opportunities. In doing so, this helps employers retain their staff and allows employees to upskill—improve their current skills or expand into other, in-demand areas.
Stephenson joined CTV Vancouver to explain how employers stand to benefit from investing in existing talent.
Investing in current talent
“Employee engagement is a critical driver of results, and the most crucial relationship in the workplace is often the one you have with your manager,” said Stephenson.
Being able to offer employees customized training and directly engage with their team within an industry-relevant business context is a fantastic way to help employees grow and upskill, he added. This in turn helps promote a culture of continuous improvement and prepares employees for future promotions.
Understanding the needs of employees is another way to increase retention, Stephenson said. Being able to offer relevant and timely learning opportunities will create a more informed and educated workforce, regardless of geographical location.
“Employee engagement is a critical driver of results, and the most crucial relationship in the workplace is often the one you have with your manager.”
– Ian Stephenson, business development officer with PowerED™ by Athabasca University
Leader Development Program
To help organizations develop leaders from within, PowerED™ partnered with Boise State University’s Center for Professional Development to create an online offering called the Leader Development Program.
The program is designed to help aspiring leaders develop leadership qualities that builds trust, improves collaboration, and strengthens understanding, said Stephenson.
Digital learning services
As workplaces and institutions have shifted the delivery of courses and specialized training to online spaces, the need for high-quality support has risen significantly, Stephenson said. PowerED™ can help organizations with this digital transition by adapting courses from face-to-face to purpose-built online delivery. Save-On-Foods, for example, partnered with PowerED™ to offer the Leader Development Program to 70 assistant store managers in Western Canada.
“Our leaders find value in the content and have been able to apply their key learnings on the job, which has increased their leadership effectiveness,” said the Save-On-Foods leadership development team. “Our leaders enjoy the flexibility and opportunities for collaboration that the online format offers.”
The online format offered by PowerED™ allows maximum flexibility for corporate organizations like Save-On-Foods to bring their people together virtually to learn, grow, and share best practices—regardless of geographic location.
Learn more about digital learning strategies, training, and development offered through PowerED’s digital learning services.
