If the challenge of filling—and retaining—tech roles is keeping you up at night, you’re in good company—91% of leaders are in the same boat. The problem is, if everyone else is already scrambling to fill vacancies and keep them staffed, how do you set your organization apart to keep your tech talent from jumping ship?
One of the most effective ways to retain tech talent is to offer learning and development as a benefit, complete with a learning stipend. After all, you’ve already invested time and resources into hiring good people—why not help them become even better employees?
To make it even more effective, structure the benefit to focus on having employees choose from a selection of vetted courses—ideally ones that feature instructor-led training (or ILT).
Elevate the impact of L&D with ILT
Offering a learning stipend isn’t a new idea. But when you leave it to employees to pick and choose their own learning and development resources, you’re effectively playing training roulette. Self-guided asynchronous classes may be convenient for workers, but there’s also no guarantee they’re learning the latest skills—or even finishing the classes.
Instructor-led classes solve both of those problems. Professional instruction means the skills being taught are up-to-date. And structured coursework sets expectations for employees—and puts them in a learning frame of mind.
3 benefits of instructor-led training
It’s not just employee-students who benefit from the instructor-led approach—ILT provides dividends to the whole company.
- Keep employees accountable.
However honest the intentions, the fact is that sometimes it’s more tempting to watch the latest viral video than it is to start the next lesson. That’s the Achilles heel of asynchronous learning—there’s always a distraction, and often those distractions prove too powerful. Self-directed classes that are never completed (or never started) aren’t just gathering digital dust, they’re wasting your training budget. Instructor-led classes bring accountability to the table, and ensure your employees are actually putting the learning opportunity to good use.
- Improve learning retention.
A nice side effect of accountability is the desire for mastery. And by interacting directly with an instructor, employees are better able to leverage the skills they’re being taught. Hands-on instruction has long been recognized as a more effective way for students to retain learning. The exercises in a self-guided, asynchronous lesson can leave students adrift. Having an instructor anchors them, not only by showing how it’s done but by providing direct feedback and answering their questions.
- Enhance the employee experience.
When you give employees agency over their own learning and development by providing credits for instructor-led training, you’re showing that you’re invested in them. This isn’t just asking them to check a box that says they finished watching some videos online, it’s proving you’re serious about their success. That motivates employees to stick around, as demonstrated by a recent survey that found turnover rates were three times lower as a result of upskilling or reskilling engineering roles versus hiring new talent.
3 ways to level up your L&D program
Now for the big question: if you build an ILT program, will they come? Absolutely, and there are some easy steps you can take to ramp up excitement among your employees for the slate of L&D opportunities you’re putting before them.
- Market wisely.?
By marketing your learning and development offerings as an employee benefit, you’ll naturally generate enthusiasm among your workforce. The syllabus is a menu, and you’re offering the opportunity to eat on the company dime. Make sure your ILT partner is adept at promoting their courses as well—and comes across as an active participant in your employees’ self-improvement.
- Empower advocates.
Done right, your talent pipeline doesn’t just upskill or reskill your employees—it transforms them into your greatest advocates. Team members who’ve experienced the benefits of instructor-led L&D courses will be your greatest asset in promoting these opportunities to others. Give them a platform so they can share their experiences, whether with a few coworkers over coffee or on a stage in front of the entire workforce. Seeing how ILT helps one’s colleagues succeed will be a big incentive for people to try it themselves.
- Celebrate wins.
Your ILT partner should be empowering you to celebrate your success as well. Make sure they’re providing you with usage metrics and offering employees the opportunity to provide feedback and testimonials. Use the data to make the case to your workforce, reporting their own successes as an engine to drive more participation. The data will also back up the wisdom of the investment to leadership who are rightly concerned about the return on training budgets.
Retain your employees and keep them on the leading edge
Ready to set up your employees for continuing education success? Get in touch and let us show you how a bulk credit package helps ensure your tech talent stays happy, motivated, and armed with the latest, most in-demand tech skills they need to succeed for the now and what’s next.