Do Employees Actually Want Leadership Training?

Leadership training and another professional development courses have long been heralded as a key component to encouraging engagement among employees.

Giving your team the chance to get ahead is considered a vital factor in demonstrating how much you value their loyalty and your willingness to support their career goals.

However, HR managers and workplace leaders need to ask the question – do my staff really want leadership training?

According to a recent survey from CareerBuilder, most individuals are not that fussed about earning a seat at the executive table. Around one-third of employees (34 per cent) are interested in a leadership position in their current workplace, with just 7 per cent aspiring for senior or C-level roles.

Why aren’t they interested?

Half of the respondents (52 per cent) said they were happy in their current position. One-third (34 per cent) didn’t want to sacrifice their work-life balance and 17 per cent believe they do not have the necessary training to get ahead.

While the individuals who are content with their roles are a positive addition to your team, HR managers need to address the concerns of the other employees.

Offering your team the opportunity to take part in professional development courses can help not only improve their sentiment at work but also boost succession planning.

If your employees are interested and involved in leadership training, this will help develop a skilled and talented internal workforce. For a business potentially facing the retirement or exodus of senior managers, the ability to fill the empty roles internally can save a significant amount in the recruitment and onboarding process.

Here are three quick tips to get employees interested in leadership and management training:

• Empower your team to make decisions and encourage further growth
• Develop a clear career roadmap so employees can see where training could take them
• Reward the individuals taking the initiative and getting involved

By implementing these tips, you could soon see more of your team becoming interested in workplace training. This will ultimately benefit your business as the development improves efficiency and effectiveness.