LESSONS LEARNED - OfficeTeam Survey: Employee Training Top Concern for HR
Managers

TORONTO, Aug. 24 /CNW/ - It's back-to-school time, but teachers aren't the only ones with lesson plans on their minds this fall. Human resources (HR) departments also are focused on continuing education for workers, suggests a new OfficeTeam survey. More than four in 10 (41 per cent) HR managers interviewed said their greatest staffing concern is employee training and development. Recruiting new employees came in second, with 27 per cent of the response.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 150 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees.

HR managers were asked, "Which of the following is your greatest staffing concern as a human resources professional?" Their responses:

Training and developing employees ........................	41%
Recruiting new employees ........................................	27%
Retaining top-performing employees ...............................	23%
None/doesn't apply ..........................................................	9%
	100%

"As workers take on expanded responsibilities, it becomes more important for companies to offer professional development to help their teams keep up," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "Training programs boost job satisfaction for employees by enabling them to build new skills and take on more challenging roles."

Workplace Redefined (http://www.roberthalf.com/workplaceredefined), a recent Robert Half study that examined the attitudes of multiple generations of workers, showed that professionals of all ages value ongoing education. "Job security is on everyone's minds, and having up-to-date skills is the key to staying relevant and marketable," noted Hosking. "By providing training opportunities, companies demonstrate they're committed to their employees' long-term career growth, and this can help with their retention efforts."

About OfficeTeam

OfficeTeam is a leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 320 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.

For further information:

Kristie Perrotte
[phone]
[email protected]