42% of intermediate and junior staff struggle with “boring and unengaging” training

In the face of skills gaps and fierce competition for enhanced services and products, CYPHER Learning, a modern learning platform provider, has conducted research shedding light on the disparity between employers and employees regarding workplace development.

The study’s key findings expose a significant contrast in training opportunities. It reveals that a staggering 88% of business owners and C-level executives enjoy the freedom to choose when, where, and how they undergo training. In stark contrast, only 37% of entry-level employees have the same privilege. Additionally, 42% of owners and C-suite executives who received training in the past year reported having more training compared to the previous year, while just 17% of intermediate or entry-level workers experienced a similar increase.

Moreover, business owners and C-level executives are nearly three times more likely to describe their training as “enjoyable” and at least twice as likely to find it “inspiring” compared to junior employees. Conversely, 42% of intermediate and junior staff struggle with “boring and unengaging” training, with over a third (36%) agreeing that workplace learning and development (L&D) has become synonymous with “death by PowerPoint.”

Graham Glass, CEO of CYPHER Learning, commented: “When someone is starting out their career, that’s usually when they’re most in need of training. Too often, they don’t get it, which can hinder teams and individuals from reaching their full potential. For higher performance, businesses can reset the balance by delivering quality, ‘executive-style’ training to staff at all levels.”

Recognized as a crucial factor in achieving business growth, employee satisfaction, and successful recruitment, learning and development (L&D) holds immense importance. Analyzing the survey responses of 4,000 general workers in US and UK companies with over 500 employees, the survey findings indicate that 98% of all workers consider training important for their roles, with 64% acknowledging that professional development has provided them with a competitive edge. Furthermore, 76% of employees are more likely to remain with employers who prioritize training, as 71% believe that a lack of investment in training reflects a lack of concern for employees. Despite these positive attitudes towards training, a concerning portion of the workforce has not received any training in the past year, with 17% reporting no training.

Among those who have undergone training, a portion has failed to perceive its benefits, including 5% who believe they received no benefit, 31% who feel unprepared for future skills challenges, and 34% who forgot their training within a month of completing it. Notably, 26% of respondents view current training programs as wasteful, offering no business value.

Glass, continued: “Employees clearly place high value on training, which is why it can help to attract top talent. In fact, employees rank training as high a priority as healthcare. But not all training programs are created equal! A system that delivers forgettable, generalised content, or doesn’t keep workers competitive, is less valuable to them and the organisation alike.

It’s crucial that businesses modernise their development programs. But that’s harder with outdated infrastructure, content, and resources. Greater personalisation at scale takes a more agile platform – something that supports competency-based skills development one employee at a time. Such a platform can foster a culture of habitual reskilling that unlocks more potential organisation-wide and keeps the innovation engine purring.”

The research features within CYPHER’s The State of Corporate Learning and Development in 2023: Stuck in the Middle report, which can be downloaded https://www.cypherlearning.com/the-state-of-corporate-learning-and-developement-2023.