How Helping Employees Earn IT Certifications Benefits Your Business

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Most conversations about IT certifications center on the benefits to the person earning the certificate. There’s no doubt that earning a certification allows one to access better employment opportunities, earn more money, and establish greater credibility in the field.

However, the benefits don’t stop there. When employers invest resources in helping their employees earn IT certifications, they stand to gain a lot as well. Paying for online computer classes that prep users for certification exams, allowing time off for studying, and even allowing employees to attend conferences and other training events often has a significant return on investment for the company. It’s no secret that companies that invest in their people and offer extensive training opportunities are among some of the most successful in the world — most of the companies in the Fortune 500 offer at least the equivalent of one week of training every year — and your company stands to gain from helping your people move forward as well.

Benefit #1: Increased Loyalty

Most Americans expect that they will work for at least five different companies throughout their career, and changing jobs every few years has become the norm within the IT field. However, surveys indicate that employees who receive training and support in their development tend to be more loyal to their employer — in fact, only about 12 percent of employees who rate their employer training options as “excellent” said they planned to leave within a year, as opposed to more than 40 percent of employees who say they have little to no opportunity for training.

Employee retention is important because turnover is expensive. The average cost to replace an employee, accounting for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding costs, is about 20 percent of that person’s salary. For an executive or skilled employee, that cost can be as high as almost 40 percent of their salary. In the long run, it’s far less expensive to invest in employees to help keep them satisfied and loyal than it is to replace them.

Benefit #2: Improved Marketing Power

Not only does supporting your employees in earning certificates benefit your existing team, but a robust training program can help attract new talent as well. Not to mention, when your team is certified, either through a vendor specific program like those offered by Cisco or Microsoft, or a vendor neutral organization like (ISC)2, they become associated with those brands which boosts everyone’s marketing power. Your business gains the credibility of having certified staff, which helps give your clients peace of mind as well.

 Benefit #3: Qualifying for Partnerships

Most major tech manufacturers and vendors require companies to have a certain number of certified team members in order to qualify for partnership levels. Partnerships can help control costs and improve efficiencies, so investing in your employees’ certifications helps protect those relationships.

Benefit #4: Cost Savings

Certified IT workers not only save your company money in terms of employee retention and reduced equipment costs. When your employees hold certifications, it’s evidence that they have the technical skills and knowledge required to manage aspects of your network. This means that tasks and services that may have required outsourcing can be handled by your team, thereby reducing costs. Not to mention, studies show that those with IT certifications are more productive, often because they know how to use advanced features of software or manage networks more efficiently.

Benefit #5: Improved Business Opportunities

As mentioned previously, earning a certification puts your employee in an elite group of professionals. Most of the sponsoring organizations provide networking opportunities via conferences, meetings, and online discussions. When your employees join these networks, they can continue to build upon their skills as well as support your brand and help identify new opportunities for your business. They will stay ahead of the curve in their specialization, which in turn helps your business stay ahead of the curve.

Employee education and training may be a significant expense for your company, but the return on investment is well worth the cost. When you provide the tools that employees need to earn their certifications, you are showing them that you care about their development and that you want them to succeed. Remember, a business is only as strong as its weakest link, so do what you can to make every link as strong as it can be.

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