Dive Brief:
- Leaders lack communication skills — the skills considered among the most critical to their success by talent development professionals, according to research by the Association for Talent Development published Nov. 12.
- However, it costs more to train leaders than to train employees more broadly. About 13% of the 239 talent development professionals surveyed by ATD said their company spends more than $3,000 a year on leadership training.
- Organizations that do train their leaders in soft skills say they do it to ensure strong organizational performance and to improve engagement, according to ATD.
Dive Insight:
Many reports indicate the importance managers have on company culture and employee retention, but not all is well for the front-line leadership corps.
Managers report they are under intense pressure to do their jobs — and that pressure is only worsening, they told Perceptyx earlier this year. While many said they were working hard to improve on their jobs, including through formal training, a majority said they could use more coaching.
Employees, apparently, agree; a quarter of workers told Perceptyx they were working for their “worst boss ever,” with traits that include a lack of integrity, a lack of accountability — and bad communication skills.
But employers that do spend money on leadership programs tend to see solid ROI, according to a 2023 report from BetterManager and The Fossicker Group. For every $1 spent on leadership development, employers saw a $7 ROI stemming from improved revenue and sales, as well as better employee retention and lower recruiting costs, the report said.
For employers looking to help managers improve their skills, learning programs should focus on behaviors and how they can be adapted, one expert wrote for HR Dive. Coaching is a key way to implement these changes, she said.