Consistent training goes a long way in minimizing turnover. Between refining current skill sets, upskilling, and introducing brand new competencies, ongoing skills training is an effective way to attract and retain top talent in virtually any industry.
“Employees are going to be a lot more motivated to learn if it’s something that is, one; something they’re interested in, and two; something that will help them do their job better. So simply asking those employees can be a starting point. From there, you can do some research to find out what courses are available, what kind of training is available, and to come up with some kind of a budget.” – Terri Varnell, SPHR, Chief Operating Officer at HRCP
According to a recent survey by Mercer, the average turnover rate in the U.S. between 2023 and 2024 was 13.5% – down from recent years. If your organization’s turnover rate is higher than that, or even if you just want to reduce turnover as much as possible, consider designing and implementing various skills training programs. When done correctly, these programs can help prepare your employees for the future, boost their current morale, and reduce turnover.
Designing Skills Training Programs That Work
There’s no use in designing skills training programs that are boring or uninteresting. In order to gain the most amount of buy-in amongst your team, it’s important to get creative when designing your skills training programs.
Offer a Mix of Training, Learning, and Development Opportunities
With so many different types of training, learning, and development opportunities available, it can be difficult to pick just one – so why do it? Instead of picking just one, you can use multiple programs to reinforce new skills, train complementary skills, and provide upskilling or cross-training wherever possible.
Some potential options include:
- Internal or on-the-job training
- Accredited development courses
- Higher education
- Industry workshops
Offering your workforce as many options as possible makes it easy for individuals to find the program that’s right for them, which ultimately makes it easier for them to learn new skills and upskill current abilities to meet future needs.
Gamify Your Training Programs to Make Them Entertaining
If you’re struggling to convince your team to engage in your current skills training program, try to gamify the experience. This strategy takes advantage of dopamine production in the human brain, which is known to produce sensations of happiness and satisfaction whenever a tangible reward is received.
For the purpose of skills training, these rewards could include points, company swag, prizes, achievement badges, and even monetary reimbursement. Programs like this give your employees the motivation to participate in skills training and the desire to perform well – all while giving them an experience that is fun, useful, and rewarding.
Ensure Your Training Programs are Accessible to Everyone
Make your training programs accessible to everyone. It might be tempting to take the hierarchical approach and only offer training to your top performers, but this kind of defeats the purpose.
Instead, offer training opportunities to employees on every level. New employees will appreciate the company’s participation in their ongoing career development, while senior-level employees will be able to refine their skills even further.
Utilizing Technology for Skills Training
When designing your skills training programs, make sure to take advantage of all the tools that are available – including modern and next-gen technology. These apps, tools, and software packages can save a considerable amount of time and expense when compared to traditional training programs.
Skills Training Software
A learning management system (LMS) is a great solution for small and large teams alike. Depending on the size of your workforce, software might be the only feasible method of overseeing skills training for the entire organization.
There are plenty of options available on the market today. Standalone LMS platforms can easily manage training sessions en masse – at a price. Other solutions are available as third-party integrations to your favorite applicant tracking system (ATS) or customer relationship management (CRM) software.
According to the LMS Global Market Report 2025, the LMS market is expected to reach $37.5 billion by 2028. With numbers like that, we’ll be seeing many organizations embrace LMS platforms in the coming years.
Tests & Quizzes
Customized tests and quizzes are highly effective when validating new skills. They provide a means of testing these new skills outside of a real-world setting, which relieves some of the pressure from your team while minimizing the chances of a catastrophic failure while working on an actual project for a real client.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
You can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to engage your employees in various skills training initiatives, too. It’s useful when designing tests and quizzes meant to verify newly learned skills, and, with the right prompts, AI can even play a role in training these new skills to begin with.
While AI isn’t perfect, it is an affordable and accessible solution for training new skills, upskilling current abilities, and explaining complex concepts. Moreover, the fact that generative AI is still in its infancy means that these systems will only continue to improve and become even more useful over time.
Making the Most of These New Skills
Now that your team is armed with updated and relevant skill sets, it’s time to make the most of their newfound abilities. Don’t hesitate to challenge their skills with projects of increasing scope or roles of greater responsibility – they’ve earned it. Not only is this a critical step in the future-proofing your workforce, but it also gives you the opportunity to examine your skill training methodologies, find out what works, and identify which strategies can be left by the wayside.
