Talent Crunch Blog

The McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program has reached new heights as the education initiative marks new milestones in providing employees with opportunities for personal and professional development. Entering its second year, Archways to Opportunity has seen its enrollment balloon to almost 17,000 employees. In addition, McDonald’s has recognized its 100^th employee who has received a high school diploma through the program.

In February, the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means received a bill, H.R. 795, the Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act, which proposes the amendment of tax law to “extend the exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance to employer payments of qualified education loans.”

Soft benefits, non-monetary benefits offered by organizations such as parental leave, vacation, tuition assistance programs and so on, have become increasingly popular incentives used by organizations to attract and retain talent. Given that we know that monetary benefits are not the be-all and end-all incentives for employee engagement, this should come as no surprise. 

Tuition assistance programs benefit employer and employee alike. Helping employees access education opportunities helps them reach personal and professional goals, in turn increasing the likelihood they’ll feel engaged and fulfilled at their current job. Moreover, removing barriers to higher education allows employees to earn the knowledge and gain the skills they’ll need to successfully carry out today’s fast-paced jobs, regardless of where they are in their careers.

During the closing panel of CAEL’s 2016 International Conference, “The Working Learner: Business Champions Share Key Workplace Initiatives,” business leaders from Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), Hilton Worldwide and UPS converged to share their experiences helping employees gain access to upskilling and higher education opportunities. Hilton Worldwide chief learning officer Kimo Kippen, HCSC vice president of human resources Mary Jo Burfeind and retired chief human resources officer of UPS Michael Johnson gave an illuminating look at how their organizations have evolved their employee education options and the challenges they’ve overcome in implementing them.  

Going the extra mile toward educating employees pays off for both employee and organization. An employee who is given access to an education is likely to be more motivated, engaged and productive. In turn, organizations benefit by an increased likelihood that those employees will remain within the organization and can be nurtured and groomed to take on positions of increased responsibility down the road. Encouraged by the right incentives, tuition assistance can be a tremendous benefit for employees.

In today’s whirlwind professional ecosystem, it’s important for companies to inspire workers to learn new skills. Providing the right environment for learning can inspire employees to abandon stagnation in favor of growth and discovery.

Apathy can strike us all at one point or another during our careers. It is certainly true that feeling comfortable in a professional role can cause a person to avoid risk or shun opportunities to learn new skills.

Executives have become painfully aware of the gap between employee skills and skills needed to achieve the company goals. To succeed in an economy that has become fiercely competitive, you need employees who can support the effort.

Many businesses today focus strongly on young workers, but a smart leader will realize that highly trained mature workers can give them a significant edge.

Motivation is an inner ambition. A desire to achieve a certain goal. Motivated people take the initiative, work hard to reach their goals, and remain enthusiastic along the way. When employees possess these characteristics — that is, when they are motivated — they tend to be more productive and happier in their jobs.