Employees in positive cultures say they're more likely to upskill

Dive Brief:

Employees who rated their company's culture positively in a recent Degreed survey were 53% more likely to learn in order to perform better in their current roles than respondents who rated cultures negatively.
The education technology company's survey of 2,400 workers across 15 countries also found that positive-culture respondents were 50% more likely to upskill to prepare for their next potential role than their counterparts, while 68% of negative-culture respondents were "disproportionately motivated" to learn only to complete employer requirements, Degreed said.
Respondents with positive cultures reported high levels of opportunity; 81% of this contingent said that they had access to "easy-to-use" career planning tools and 73% said it was easy for them to find new roles internally. These employees were also 189% more likely to work with a mentor or coach, Degreed said.

Dive Insight:

Training and career development are no longer just about getting employees to learn the skills they need to complete daily tasks. Over the past year, that has become evident as large companies invest in education benefits. Target and Walmart previously rolled out such offerings, with the former putting forward a "debt-free assistance" offering to U.S. workers and the latter turning its one-dollar-a-day education benefit into a free program.

That strategy may yield benefits particularly in a time where workers are willing to change jobs and careers. A July study by the Manufacturing Institute's Center for Manufacturing Research found more than half industry employees under age 25 surveyed said they stayed with their employers for training and development reasons.

Culture not only impacts the success of L&D programs — it also may be indicative of how effective those programs are at advancing key business metrics. For example, a study released earlier this month by consulting firm Vaya Group found male workers had several advantages over other workers when employers choose employees to participate in leadership training. Specifically, Vaya Group found 35% more men than women were selected by managers for leadership training programs.

Leaders also can set the tone for how an organization chooses to train workers. Previously, sources have suggested tactics such as having managers share career mistakes and setbacks to demonstrate the value of continuous investment in learning. Others have suggested that sharing these experiences may encourage employees to experiment and participate in their own self-development.