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Workers 'want to quit if they can't progress'

Published On 25 May 2007 at 09:02:52

The bosses of the nation's small and medium-sized enterprises need to do more to make sure their staff benefit from day-to-day training opportunities, industry experts have claimed.

The Investors in People Centre for the East of England said that helping employees continue to train and improve skills would maintain staff motivation and help keep SMEs on track in a competitive environment.

According to recent research from the centre, 60 per cent of workers said that they wanted to leave the SME they currently work at in order to progress in their career.

This highlights how employers need to provide staff with the chance to move up the career path if they hope to retain them.

"A lack of development opportunities is often cited as one of the main reasons for employees leaving their jobs, so ensuring that employees feel challenged and motivated in their role is vital," explained Simon Jones, the acting chief executive at Investors in People.

"All too often, employers confuse development with formal training and whilst this is clearly important, it can't be the only focus.

"On-the-job learning has an important part to play in employee development and employers should look to identify ways to help their staff maximise these opportunities, within the context of clear objectives and assessment processes."

A recent study found that UK workers were more skilled now than they were 20 years ago - with IT aptitude particularly important in today's workplace.

 

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