Employees Quit When You Ask Them To Learn New Skills

As an employer, your priority is to keep your employees up-to-date with the latest trends in their specific fields. That’s precisely why skill training plays such a crucial role in the business world. It is in your business’s best interest to encourage employees to boost their competencies. 

So, why do some employees choose to resign instead of attending training programs? As it happens, there could be more than one reason for it. Here are the top 4 most common reasons that push employees to quit when they receive their training schedule. 

#1. The skills are not relevant to their job

Training is designed to help your team pursue their career goals and deliver higher results for the company. So, employees expect skills to be relevant to their professional objectives. 

When employees feel the training they receive is not supporting their career advancement in the way they want, they may be keen to look for opportunities elsewhere. It tends to happen when the business fails to take a personal interest in individual employees’ career goals. Unfortunately, lack of progression is a sign that your company can’t give them an opportunity to grow. 

#2. The company tries to double their roles

Imagine what your digital marketing expert would say if you were to suggest she use her computing skills to provide an IT support service within the company. 

Hey Janet, you’re good with a computer, right? Can you help set up the new server? 

Chances are Janet will resign on the spot. If you need additional services, it’s best to reach out to specialist contractors and providers rather than expect your employees to take on new roles on top of their existing ones. 

#3. The training program is unrealistic

It is unfair to request employees to learn new skills during their spare time. Unfortunately, it is a frequent request made by the business. Your team needs to receive a schedule that enables everyone to pursue training during working hours. 

Failure to create a manageable training schedule can lead to:

• Overworked employees
• Difficulties learning or mastering new skills
• Decreased productivity
• Decreased quality
• High stress levels 

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#4. There is no training support

Is it fair to ask your employees to learn new skills? Absolutely. 

But learning new skills without support means employees must pay out of pocket for training. It is an unfair request. More importantly, it can be a dangerous thing to ask. Employees may be likely to move to companies that can provide paid-for training programs. 

According to the Association for Talent Development, companies tend to spend, on average, $1,252 on individual employee training and development. Training incurs a cost that many small businesses are unwilling to pay. Nevertheless, the income lost to training fees does not compare to the income you would lose if an employee quit. 

In conclusion, while training is a must-have for companies, many businesses still proceed with a counterproductive approach. It is essential to consider the most suitable training solutions for the company and the employees. While it makes no doubt that training comes at a cost for the business in terms of investment and time lost, an effective training schedule can deliver positive ROI, creating loyalty, engagement, enhanced productivity, and increased value in the long term.