Investment in employee training reaps rewards

By Nicole Mannino Johnson, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Literacy Pittsburgh, njohnson@literacypittsburgh.org

Effective communication in the workplace allows companies and their teams to thrive. Yet, communication remains a top concern for employers and employees alike. These challenges have real costs in employee turnover, reduced productivity, and customer dissatisfaction.

Employee training can help mitigate these issues resulting in improvements in retention, employee morale and customer feedback. There is a strong case for support for training: 76% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training.¹ Potential and current employees value an engaging and supportive environment that invests in their personal and professional growth.

Literacy Pittsburgh’s Employee Training Services program is unique in that it specifically addresses many of the challenges faced by immigrants and their employers. From cultural misunderstandings to language barriers, the program can help improve communication among employees, supervisors, and the clients you serve. “Workplace English classes do more than attract non-English-speaking immigrants who are eager to expand their language skills. They benefit businesses because improved English proficiency correlates with increased employee engagement and retention.”²

Employee Training Services courses are developed collaboratively, with employer and employee goals in mind. Professional instructors will build a customized employee training program to increase the skill level of staff. Instruction is delivered on-site in a small group setting. Employers pay employees for the time spent in class, which reduces attendance barriers and demonstrates a commitment to employee success. Holding classes around shift change times can facilitate scheduling participants from different shifts. A report will be provided at the conclusion of the course with quantitative and qualitative results as well as recommendations for next steps. 

“The Environmental Services team at Allegheny General Hospital has benefited greatly from Literacy Pittsburgh’s Clear and Effective Communications course,” reports Brent DeBona, Resident Regional Director Operations at AHN Allegheny General Hospital. “The associates who attended the five-week session came away excited and energized to be able to engage with their coworkers, patients, and visitors more positively on a day to day basis. It was a pleasure working with Literacy Pittsburgh knowing that they made such a positive impact on so many lives through their sessions.”

With nearly 40 years' of experience in adult education, Literacy Pittsburgh offers a proven approach that delivers results. Class offerings include:

Workplace English: Tailored to an individual company’s needs, Workplace English frequently focuses on conversational skills and vocabulary. Participants are encouraged to use more variety in language and utilize workplace specific language. Classes help them develop confidence in their English skills and feel more comfortable communicating with clients or English-speaking co-workers. They also become more at ease with reporting problems, concerns and requests to their American supervisors.

Computer Skills: Literacy Pittsburgh can customize training to suit the needs of a company’s staff; for example, logging into employer intranet sites, password safety, using email, or Microsoft Office. Whether for onboarding, or to upskill, we can provide hands-on, practical training and bring staff up to speed, reducing the amount of time supervisors spend helping staff develop these basic digital skills. Past trainings have included Email Etiquette, Microsoft Excel, and Navigating Employer Intranet. Our staff is Microsoft Office Specialist certified in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint and can offer a curriculum that meets a company’s specific needs.

Cultural Competency: This workshop series is an expansion of some of the tips offered in this article series.  In part one, Cross Cultural Communication in the Workplace, participants examine aspects of language learning, literacy awareness, and Pittsburgh-specific immigrant population data and develop an action plan to communicate clearly with English Language Learners and address communication divides in the workplace. In part two, Dimensions of Culture, participants are introduced to aspects of culture that can affect the workplace. Participants will explore cultural differences that their staff may have and develop strategies to build more effective communication and professional relationships. In part three, Communicating Effectively with Staff, participants “put it all together” with practical techniques to communicate with English Language Learner staff that take into consideration both Cross-Cultural Communication in the Workplace and Dimensions of Culture with the opportunity to have hands-on practice using these techniques.

Literacy Pittsburgh’s team can create a customized employee training program to increase customer satisfaction, employee morale, workplace safety, collaboration, and results. Clients have included AHN Jefferson Hospital, AHN Allegheny General Hospital, UPMC, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Trying Together, Rivers Casino, and Giant Eagle.

Watch this video to get a firsthand look at how employee training positively impacted workers in the Environmental Services Department at UPMC.

To learn more about how Literacy Pittsburgh could benefit your company and schedule a free consultation, please contact (412) 393-7640 or partner@literacypittsburgh.org.

 This article is part four of a series by Literacy Pittsburgh with tips on hiring and retaining immigrant talent.

 References

1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2022/04/12/why-learning--development-is-now-a-competitive-differentiator-and-how-to-get-on-board/?sh=1442f29630ff

2 https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/all-things-work/english-classes-help-retain-immigrant-workers