Specific training can retain staff

By putting staff into groups and targeting them with the right resources employers can increase retention rates and productivity, according to new research.

By putting staff into groups and targeting them with the right resources employers can increase retention rates and productivity, according to new research.

The research by Watson Wyatt showed that there are five categories of employees, based on their engagement with the company they work for.

The majority, 51 per cent, of employees fall in to the "core contributors" category, which is the group who need the most attention from their bosses.

The management consulting firm says that these people score highly on commitment levels but do not have the "line of sight"-focus and direction needed to improve their organisation-that is essential to progress.

Andrew Cocks, a senior consultant at Watson Wyatt, said: "Programmes that improve line of sight could pay off handsomely, transforming at least some of these employees into value creators and allowing the company to benefit from their improved individual performance."

He went on to say that improving medium-engagement employees' performance can stop them finding other work and so keep recruitment costs down and give the company a "competitive advantage".

Other groups include "lost believers" who are unlikely to leave the company but don't have high line of sight, and so produce poor work; and "aligned sceptics" who have low commitment levels and so are most likely to leave unless employers re-engage them.

Laura Overton, director or e-learning at e-skills UK recently said that internet training can provide employees with more specific training.