Your company offers a training program—they have an online University, offer weekly webinars, or live training. Why should you care?
You’ve already taken your compliance training, so you’re up to date on being safe in the workplace. Why would you take the optional product or soft skills training when you don’t have to? Maybe your company is holding a competition, but you’re not very competitive, and Jim from accounting is miles ahead anyways. Why go to more effort?
Reason 1: Upskilling Leads to Promotions & Better Pay
A 2021 study by Gallup showed that employees who recently participated in upskilling—learning additional skills beyond what’s required—make an average of $8,000 more than employees who have not. Additionally, if your employer uses a Learning Management System like BlueVolt, they can see who is taking additional courses, and many employers take that into consideration when looking for opportunities for promotions.
Reason 2: More Knowledge = More Confidence = Elevated Sales & Satisfied Customers
If you work in a customer-facing role like sales, you know the panic of having a customer ask for recommendations in an area you aren’t confident in. At best, you’re able to refer them to someone who knows more; at worst, you make a guess, hoping you’re recommending the best option to meet their needs.
When you take the time to educate yourself on your company’s product offerings, you become more confident and are better equipped to answer customer questions. When you are able to be a reliable, knowledgeable customer resource, you earn your clients’ trust. It’s a win-win: they walk away with the best product to meet their needs, and you meet your sales goals.
Reason 3: Personal Health & Development
Even if you graduated from school years ago, continuous learning is important to maintaining cognitive health. According to Science Daily, remaining mentally active helps limit cognitive decline. You’re working hard for your retirement, so the more you can enjoy it, the better!
Not only does continuous learning help keep you healthy, it can help keep you happier! You can find more fulfillment in your day-to-day job when you’re more engaged in it, or you can learn new skills that make your life easier—like finally learning how to use spreadsheet formulas instead of putting it all in manually.
Conclusion
Taking advantage of your company’s training programs—or even taking initiative on your own time—can lead to better pay, higher sales, prolonged cognitive well-being, and more fulfillment. You can even take advantage of your company’s competition incentives—Jim from accounting won’t know what hit him.
SOURCES: Gallup, The American Upskilling Study: Empowering Workers for the Jobs of Tomorrow; Science Daily, Learning keeps brain healthy: Mental activity could stave off age-related cognitive and memory decline
