Employee Education Payback

Here's a simple way to keep your talented employees happy and stand out from your competitors: pay for required continuing education courses.

According to a recent Robert Half Finance & Accounting survey, 42% of organizations do not reimburse staff for courses they need to take to maintain their professional certifications.

"Organizations that support their employees' continuing education demonstrate that they are dedicated to helping staff members in their career development, which could give companies an edge in recruiting and retaining skilled staff," says Kathryn Bolt, president of Robert Half Canada. "Although individuals rarely accept a job or stay with an employer solely based on its education benefits, it will become more important for firms to offer such perks as the market strengthens."

Beyond retention and recruiting, supporting ongoing learning can also help businesses develop a more skilled workforce, adds Bolt.

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with more than 270 CFOs from a random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.