Bosses Like Learners

Love Them or Lose Them: In the eyes of employers, career success depends heavily on a person’s willingness to balance job duties while pursuing learning outside of work. According to research by the Chartered Management Institute, a professional group, employers desire people who demonstrate a commitment to professional development. The data comes from separate reports completed during the past several years. Even though they are aware that their employees may acquire education only to leave for competitors, pressing business needs outweigh that concern.

Managers are supporting employee development based on their personal experiences. Nearly one-quarter of managers say that earning credentials or qualifications resulted directly in a job promotion for them, while nearly the same percentage earned more pay, transferred their skills to a new career, or landed a similar job in a different industry. More than half (53 percent) claim to be more respected, and seven in 10 credit continuing education with helping them refocus their career goals. Also, 79 percent say learning helped them develop into leaders. Two-thirds said they were now “better equipped to deal with interpersonal issues.”