Investing in up-skilling pays for itself

According to a recent report from Gallop, on the cost of training, companies who provide full upskilling opportunities are 21% more profitable than those that don’t.

The same report showed that employees are 17% more productive, and as much as 80% happier in their role.

Employees that report being happier at work are more likely to stay in their post, supporting the knowledge bank that only comes from long-serving team members. These colleagues are invaluable!

• No one can onboard a new employee like a colleague with years of experience. Whether it’s showing them how the coffee machine works or being a dab hand at finding their way around the IT system, it saves time and gives a great impression to starters. 

• When it comes to supporting clients, staff with years of internal experience under their belt have insight that is priceless. They know what has come before, have stats on past performance at their fingertips and often have a strong relationship with stakeholders across the client business. All of these contribute to retaining and growing existing customers. 

So, it’s a win-win really; training = happy staff and business growth.

Marketing is lagging

And yet, a survey from Marketing Week shows that as many as a third of marketers feel they aren't receiving adequate upskilling in their roles. This is a clear missed opportunity; there is incredible potential when you equip marketers with additional communications and technology skills.

• Thought leadership strategy workshops can support a marketer to develop strong content capabilities. In my experience, this is one of the key areas that can impact marketing and change that way in which all areas of communications are handled.

• AI isn't going anywhere and will have a big impact on marketing; how Gen AI can be used and what tools are available is imperative knowledge for everyone in the industry. The conversations that come after AI in marketing workshops can spark incredible - and exciting - ideas.

• Marketing teams with a deeper understanding of the value and impact of PR make better clients and rounds out their delivery and planning abilities. I have seen firsthand how PR workshops can transform the integration of all communications, with the marketing teams really understanding how it fits in with their more-sales focussed plans.

There are so many ways that employers can support their marketing teams to upskill, rounding out their knowledge and opening up the opportunity to explore other disciplines and even move into a new area. A great employer shouldn't fear that will mean that their teams will leave; upskilling can contribute to staff retention!

I offer a range of workshops, from PR 101 for small marketing teams who need to be generalists and LinkedIn management for sales teams who want to build their profiles, to getting the most out of your agency relationships for larger organisations looking to get the most out of their consultancy partnerships.

Each workshop is tailored to your personal needs; if you need a training session for marketing, colleagues at any level, do get in touch.