The Busy Leader's Handbook

37Create a Training and Development System That Motivates Employees to Learn

The business world is changing fast. With rapid advances in technology and shifting consumer behavior, lots of jobs are being created that didn’t exist 10 years ago. A recent PBS article cited an Institute for the Future study predicting that “eighty-five percent of the jobs that today’s students will do in 2030 don’t exist yet.”¹

Now, this particular article focused on what colleges are doing to adapt to a quickly changing workplace, but it made me think about what this means for employers. It’s no longer just a matter of having to train new graduates so they’ll be work ready; even seasoned employees are now in a position where they must constantly learn new skills. Moving forward, employers will have to play an increasingly vital role in training and developing their workforce.

We’ve known for a long time that when it’s done well, training highly benefits companies and employees alike. For one thing, it helps organizations create the kind of culture that attracts and retains great talent, which is especially important when the economy is booming and good candidates are scarce. It also helps organizations keep up with industry changes, stay ahead of competitors, get employees engaged and motivated, and more.

And, of course, it’s good for the employees themselves. It helps them get better and better at what they do and advance in their company and career.

So yes, having a solid development system ...