How Learning & Development is Crucial to the Employee Experience in Malaysia

Disclaimer: This article should not be considered to be legal advice, and altHR is not liable for any actions taken based on this article.

One of the most important things you need to consider when designing a powerful employee experience is the opportunity for employees to upskill and learn during their time with the organisation. 

This is because next to remuneration, one of the most pivotal factors in employee happiness in a company is the potential for advancement, growth, and upskilling. Here are a couple of ways that an effective learning and development programme can take the employee experience at your organisation to the next level. 

1. It creates a culture of learning

Other than the actual upskilling and reskilling, having a strong L&D programme allows you to cultivate a culture of learning and growth at your company. This, in addition to all of the benefits that employers can reap from employees who continuously improve their ability to impact the business, can also help with employee retention efforts for the team. 

According to a LinkedIn Learning Report, the vast majority of respondents want a company that invests in their professional development — resulting in them staying at the same organisation for longer. This increases the chances of your organisation retaining its best talents, while also improving the employer brand for future talents in the industry. 

2. Adds long-term value and resilience to the business

Employers who focus on the development, growth, and skilling of its employees will also be adding long-term value to both parties: employees and the business. Due to the dynamic nature of today’s fast-moving digital world, it’s hugely important for employees to continue to upskill to stay relevant and impactful for the business. 

This consequently enables companies to meet business objectives, with and is why we believe that a company’s biggest asset is its people — which adds to the argument to emphasise on the personal and professional development of employees. 

3. It builds emotional intelligence in the workforce

A recent survey found that around 3 quarters of hiring managers believe that emotional intelligence — commonly referred to as EQ — is more valuable than their IQ, with EQ being an invaluable quality that has a direct impact on communication, problem-solving, and overall employee performance. 

L&D programmes can help to build on this, creating a mindset of continuous learning and improvement — including emotional intelligence. Focus on programmes that also prioritise the enabling of soft skills, and ultimately, you’ll be able to see the positive impact on the workforce at your organisation. 

4. Employee engagement is increased

Employee engagement has grown in importance over the past couple of years. By designing a powerful and effective L&D programme, you’re offering more opportunities for employees to feel connected and engaged with/at the organisation. 

This, in turn, increases individual and overall work productivity, improves the employee experience (and the customer experience, too), and turns employees into strong company ambassadors.