36 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2019 While many employees may be comfortable in their current roles, most top talent wants to continually advance in their careers. Regardless of whether the goal is to be promoted within a company, or simply to stay up-to-date on new skills or technologies, high performers of all generational groups want to improve themselves. This reality is great news for the businesses, which are increasingly focused on training. It is equally important, however, to make training opportunities apparent to candidates in order to encourage them to join your ranks. Training is a top priority. Strengthening employee training programs should be a top priority for all employers, including banks. Business-wide, 58% of employers in the 2018 MRI Network performance management study indicated that training programs, as well as attracting and retaining top talent, are priorities for 2019. Training is part of a larger strategy to ensure that employee skillsets are aligned with the needs of your institution. It benefits your bank through improved results, but also leads to higher employee engagement, which ultimately drives retention. Among respondents in the above-mentioned survey, external training was cited as one of the preferred incentives to remain with a company. Training also incentivizes job seekers to apply because of the potential to advance their careers. Workers acknowledge the value of training. Workers today are not only competing with other individuals; machines are vying with them, as well. How to Leverage Training Programs To attract and retain star employees HUMAN RESOURCES Artificial intelligence is used in a variety of industries in addition to banking. Some experts believe that AI will become more commonplace over time, particularly for positions that involve repetitive tasks. A recent Gallup poll, however, found that Americans are not worried about losing their jobs to robots, especially those with highly specialized skills. This may be because they have faith in the upward mobility that training can spur. In a separate Gallup survey, 43% of respondents indicated that they are confident about being able to take advantage of training to improve their skill sets in the event AI puts their job security at risk. Staff bridge generational gaps by learning from each other. Regardless of age group, leveraging training makes good business sense. Not only can workers benefit from training that will help them personally in their own career trajectories, but cross-generational training programs, such as mentoring and succession planning, can also help the organization ensure that next-generation employees are being prepared for the future. Employers should take a blended approach to training, ensuring specific development programs are aligned with the best delivery approach. With a growing number of baby boomers retiring, there is enormous opportunity to provide formal mentoring and succession planning programs that share the knowledge of years past with up-and-coming generations. Senior staff can also learn from younger workers, who may be more adept with new processes or technologies. Generation Z – those born from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s – are particularly interested in training opportunities. According to LinkedIn, Gen Z is on pace Mark Angott President Angott Search Group mangott@asgteam.com Charlie Tudor Managing Director Angott Search Group ctudor@asgteam.com Angott Search Group is an associate member of the Indiana Bankers Association.
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