Motivated employees are the Holy Grail of productive businesses. In a recent survey by Monster.com, 6,000 job seekers were asked to rank the importance of employer-provided values. Not surprisingly, money talks. 96% of respondents ranked salary as most important, followed closely by job security (95%), and supervisor/manager (92%).

Coming in at a close fourth place is training. People want to know that their employers care about their career path. The job at hand is important -and often urgent- but having a stakeholder in your corner to help you see a greater vision for your career, is of priceless value. Indeed, 91% of those surveyed ranked it as the an important employer-provided value.

What kind of training is most highly regarded? Self-directed learning got quite a bit of press in past years. While it has a place, according to the October issue of T+D Magazine, “…on-site training tops the lists of what workers want, according to a recent survey of office workers and HR managers. More than one-third of those surveyed say that in-house, instructor-led workshops are the type of professional training that the value most.”

1. 96% Salary
2. 95% Job security
3. 92% My supervisor/manager
4. 91% Training
5. 91% Performance feedback
6. 89% Leadership
7. 87% Vacation/Paid time off
8. 85% career advancement
9. 81% Involved in decisions
10. 75% Corporate culture

Are these results surprising? Training even trumps paid vacations and career advancement! Here is a practical infographic that shows clearly the positive impact training and engagement can have on your organization.

“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.“

(Edward de Bono)

At Employee Development Systems, Inc., we have been helping motivate and engage employees for over 30 years. Our on-site training programs have instilled self-discipline, accountability, and personal effectiveness in thousands of employees. We invite you to take a look at our programs, and consider it for your organization.