If you’re a manager, it may seem like a risky investment to offer professional development to your employees. The fear is that employees can take their new knowledge elsewhere, but in reality, when employees receive the training they need, the returns exceed your monetary spend. Here’s why:

Training Attracts Employees and Encourages Loyalty

Most employees see professional development as a benefit, which may give your company a competitive advantage over others in the job search. By offering training, you will attract employees who are looking to better themselves—and this is the kind of employee you want to have. Knowing that an employer is willing to provide training and professional development makes an employee feel valued and can increase loyalty.

Training Saves You Money (Really)

The upfront price tag may make you question whether training is worth it, but good training makes employees better at their jobs, and good employees save you money in the long run. Employees who feel valued and know that they are getting the training they need will continue to work for you, eliminating the costs of hiring (and training) replacement employees.

Training Betters Performance Levels

Technology is always changing, which means that the know-how your employees had when they started may no longer be relevant. After a successful training, employees will come back with new knowledge and more motivation, meaning that the company reaps the benefits of their knowledge and their enthusiasm.

Training Allows You to Hire More Easily

Not every student leaves college (or their previous employer) with the hard skills necessary to effectively do the job, but they may have the soft skills that the position requires. By sending employees to training that gives them the technical skills they need, you allow the company to hire talent that would otherwise be rejected. As a result, your company is able to hire from a wider talent pool or promote from within.

Training Allows You to Maintain A Competitive Edge

With employees who are always learning and capitalizing on the most advanced technology, your company stays competitive. Well-trained employees are prepared to stay informed about changing business needs, skills requirements and external environments that may impact your product or service.

Starting Your Training Program

Wondering what a good training program looks like? Facebook, Spotify, NextDoor and Airbnb have trusted us to train their teams, as have hundreds of other companies.

If you’re looking to train several employees at once, Big Nerd Ranch offers on-site corporate training, where your team will learn from our experts in the comfort of your office. For individual developers and designers, we also offer bootcamps at our locations in Georgia and California. Both options provide distraction-free app development or design training in just one week.