3 Ways Employee Training and Career Development Support Organizational Performance

By: Jenn Hall | November 2025

A well-trained, high-quality workforce is hard to beat. And when organizations prioritize employee training and career development to meet and anticipate organizational and market needs, that competitive edge becomes even sharper. A focus on career development and training can significantly improve organizational performance in several key areas.

#1: Increased workforce competency, flexibility, and adaptability

Career development and training opportunities allow your team to acquire, enhance, or expand their skill set, enabling them to not only increase theircompetency in managing existing job responsibilities, but also be prepared to address new or emerging responsibilities, processes or procedures, or even technology solutions.

With increased training and skills, organizations can better adapt to evolving market changes and organizational needs. This creates greater flexibility within the employee workforce, allowing individuals to take on new responsibilities, address gaps within the team more easily, scale projects or processes more effectively, and grow within their career.

#2: Reduced turnover / Improved retention

Attracting right-fit talent can be challenging, especially in a hyper-competitive job market. In a recent Deloitte survey of Gen Z and millennials, participants highlighted learning and development as one of the top three reasons they chose to work for their current employer. Organizations that focus on providing learning and development opportunities can expect to see a positive impact on retention. For example, according to LinkedIn, organizations with a strong learning culture experience 57% higher employee retention.

Training, development, and advancement opportunities are often cited as a primary driver for an employee’s decision to leave an organization. In fact, according to SHRM, 49% of employees quit their job due to limited opportunities to advance. Advancement is not confined to promotions; rather, advancement can also mean skill acquisition or even lateral moves to a new or expanded position. Data from a recent PwC survey further reinforces this sentiment by reporting, “67% of employees considering switching jobs say that the opportunity to learn new skills would affect their decision to a large or very large extent.”

#3: Increased efficiency and productivity

By providing clear pathways for upskilling or reskilling, organizations can help employees not only increase confidence, engagement, and satisfaction, but also their productivity and efficiency. “If done effectively, training should increase operational efficiency and address the specific skill gaps needed to optimize workplace processes. For example, if your team currently misses 40% of deadlines, a focused training program could help reduce that rate—ideally to 20% or even 5% over time,” reported AIHR.

Additionally, according to Mercer’s Global Talent Trends Report, 51% of c-suite executives believe employee upskilling or reskilling provides the biggest boost to productivity in their organization.

It makes sense – the more employees know and the greater their skill set, the better they will be able to perform their job, streamline processes, and deliver greater results.

Boost your learning and development program with USCI

Investing in employee training and development is essential to not only attract and retain right-fit talent, but also engage them and amplify their effectiveness and results. This investment truly only has an upside – a stronger, more resilient workforce and a successful organization.

To further boost your effectiveness, consider partnering with U.S. Career Institute to deliver high-quality, 100% online, self-paced, and DEAC accredited education. Plus, you’ll have the option to customize your chosen programs to better align with your specific goals. It’s a win-win.