Companies that seek to attract top talent should start considering learning and development opportunities as a way of reinforcing their employer brand and their recruitment strategy. Why? Well, because in such a competitive job market like the one we have right now, the best candidates choose employers that invest in employees’ career development and give them a chance to keep updating their skills and knowledge, so they stay relevant.
According to McKinsey’s report Elevating Learning & Development, “the shift to a digital, knowledge-based economy means that a vibrant workforce is more important than ever: research suggests that a very significant percentage of market capitalization in public companies is based on intangible assets—skilled employees, exceptional leaders, and knowledge”.
Millennial candidates, for example, are eager to learn and grow. They expect you to let them know about your company’s training and learning programs during the recruitment process. For this generation of job seekers, professional development is a benefit that matters. Hence, when aiming at hiring the best candidates, employers need to offer benefits they truly value.
The Importance of Learning and Development Opportunities
Onboarding a new employee costs companies time, effort and money. A study by Linkedin says that 59% of employees joined companies for better career paths or more opportunity, while 45% of employees who left companies cited concern over a lack of advancement opportunity.
By having solid learning and development programs companies not only increase their chances of attracting but also retaining top talent. Allowing people to grow helps them believe in their potential and fosters a sense of loyalty that makes them want to stay. That’s why investing in employee development is paramount for your company’s sustainability and growth.
Employee development actions can be delivered in different formats: individual professional development plans, resources available to employees to learn new skills, customised training programs (coaching, mentorships, cross-training, etc).
Besides training and learning programs, companies must invest in career development plans to allow employees to focus on a goal and work towards the success of the company. As suggested on Linkedin’s “How Learning Programs Attract and Retain Top Talent”, you need to show how your company culture and learning programs connect employees to their deepest professional aspirations. This requires giving employees “the opportunities they seek, accelerate their growth, and transform their careers”.
How to Attract Top Talent Through Learning and Development Opportunities
For your company to attract top talent, you have to work on your employer branding. This requires collaborative efforts between marketing, communications and hr departments to build the right strategy to make your candidates aware of your learning and development programs and opportunities.
Here are some tips from Linkedin on how to attract top candidates through learning and development opportunities:
- Write compelling job descriptions
A well written job description must highlight how candidates will grow, learn, and make an impact if they get hired by your company. The goal is to get candidates to invision how they can grow within your company.
- Share stories of career transformation on your LinkedIn company page
Collecting and sharing testimonials from employees that highlight your company culture and where they’ve tell other how they’ve used learning to transform their careers at your company is a great move. Use this stories to show how these employees moved into leadership roles and developed new skills for success.
- Highlight your company’s commitment with learning and development
You need to stress the mission and goals of your learning programs in your career page, your social media profiles and your job advertisements. Let it be clear for your candidates that your company is invested in helping employees grow.
Offering employees real professional development opportunities through learning and training will definitely help your company stand out and attract and retain top talent. Moreover, keep in mind that investing in such programs will also benefit your company’s performance and success.
Skeeled offers you the perfect opportunity to bring innovation and digitalisation to your hiring. Check our website or our LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages for further information.
Thanks for reading and see you next time!
Your team here at skeeled
