A new survey focused on accountancy has widespread implications for workplace learning in all fields.
Employers, take note.
Survey Findings
Robert Half Finance & Accounting, a financial recruitment service, asked chief financial officers (CFOs), “Do you allow employees to attend continuing professional education (CPE) courses during business hours?”
Despite the fact that companies want financial employees who are well informed on the latest regulations, business trends, and best practices, and that CPE requirements come from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), employers do not unanimously support continuing education on company time.
Only 26 percent of CFOs report their companies allow all employees to fulfillment continuing education requirements while at work; another 24 percent say it depends on the employee.
Nearly a quarter of CFOs, 23 percent, say they generally do not allow it but have made exceptions in the past, and 27 percent say they do not accommodate employees taking classes during business hours.
This means that half of firms rarely or never let any staff take classes during business hours.
Implications
“Businesses do themselves a disservice by prohibiting employees from taking CPE courses during company time,” says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half. “Webinars, seminars, and online courses, some as short as 10 minutes, allow professionals to earn the needed credits and help their employers by staying on the cutting edge of industry trends.”
McDonald points out that investing time in staff members’ ongoing education offers lasting benefits. “The better informed your employees are, the fewer technical, compliance, and ethical mistakes they’re likely to make,” he says. “Moreover, a generous training program that includes allowing staff to obtain continuing education during work hours shows support for professional development and is a powerful recruitment and retention tool.”
Indeed, research finds that job seekers view professional development as much more than a perk. When asked what they look for in a potential employer, professional development is at or near the top of the list of most job seeker surveys.
Advice for Improvement
When releasing its survey findings, Robert Half offers several employee tips for requesting the opportunity to earn CPE credits during the day.
One of these tips could easily apply to employers.
Emphasize the big picture. Is there a gap in your department’s knowledge base? Let your boss know how CPE classes will enable you to shore up those weaknesses and support the team.
Change the last sentence to, “Let your organization know how continuing education classes will enable you to shore up those weaknesses and support the team,” and it applies to every organization—every organization that wants to grow.