These last two measures are critical. Without satisfied employees, success on the other measures is impossible. As growth demands more employees, and employees with broader skills, a satisfied employee base is critical. But as we look ahead to the year 2000, this issue deserves renewed attention. Without employees, you won't have customers, so it really does make sense to focus on how you can recruit, train and retain the kinds of employees who will enable you to reach your goals.
Training is a tremendous recruiting tool.
As candidates job hunt, they size up potential employers against each other. Very often, the balance is tipped in favor of the organization that offers the greatest opportunity for skill and career development. Orientation and basic job skills training have been shown to reduce turnover within the first 3-4 months. Training tied to career development plans will have the same effects over longer periods of time. All of these correlations assume that training is professionally designed and presented.