BACK TO SCHOOL FOR EMPLOYEES: CALCULATING THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

Continuing education can be a boon for small business. Here’s how to make back to school work for you and your employees.

Writer/Author/Publisher/Speaker, Garden Guides Press

AUGUST 21, 2015

As students across the nation make their way back to school, some of them may be your employees. If anyone in your company is hitting the books this fall, consider that a positive—homework and all.

“In many businesses today, it’s important that employees continue going to school and learning their trade,” says Greg Davis, owner ofSouth Coast Computers, a full-service, external IT firm. “There are always new certificates and certifications needed—no matter your business. We usually have a few employees in school each semester.”

Back-to-School Benefits for Small Businesses

The advantages of continuing education for your employees are many. “For most businesses today, the hardware and software changes so fast that it’s imperative your employees keep up,” Davis says. “Trends and new ways of conducting business also constantly appear, especially as we continue to globalize. Any new information that your employees absorb helps your company become more knowledgeable, innovative and proactive.”

You and your employees must actively work to find better ways to solve new problems that arise. Those employees who go back to school can learn new techniques and broaden their horizons.
In addition to providing employees nuts-and-bolts information needed to do their jobs efficiently and effectively, continuing education can offer valuable lessons in problem solving.

“To be competitive as a small business today, you and your employees must actively work to find better ways to solve new problems that arise,” Davis says. “Those employees who go back to school can learn new techniques and broaden their horizons by learning from instructors and the coursework and by working with other students, who often have different ideas and solutions than their coworkers.”

Offering your employees the opportunity to go back to school can also make them feel valued, which leads to more job satisfaction and a desire to use their newfound knowledge to better their work environment and improve their performance.

Back-to-School Challenges

Of course, having employees hit the books isn’t without challenges for small-business owners. Whether yours is a service- or product-based business, the time employees are away from the office or client site can strain your infrastructure, which for many small businesses is already limited.

“Like many small businesses, we provide service, and as such our clients require their problems solved quickly,” says Davis. “A customer generally can’t wait for IT assistance from an employee who needs to go to class, or if the employee is onsite, he or she can’t leave to attend school until the customer’s IT problem is solved. Our clients also generally require our services during extended business hours, so unless employees can find classes they need at night, the schooling cuts into their working hours, which can lead to reduced paychecks and affect the company’s productivity.”

Davis has also found that going back to school can stretch some employees a bit thin—especially if they have substantial priorities in addition to work. This can negatively affect work performance.

Making School Work

If your employees have expressed the desire to go back to school, or you wish to encourage continuing education, keep the following tips in mind.

  • Be flexible. “Look at the big picture, and you will realize that having trained, A-level employees is better for any company,” Davis says. “Spend extra time being creative with work schedules to give those employees who go back to school first priority on weekend or after-hours work to keep them busy. Make sure the employees understand that you are being flexible in order to benefit them and the company.”
  • Guide coursework. If possible, sit down with your employees and assist them in choosing courses that are mutually beneficial for them and the company.
  • Offer educational expense reimbursement. Pay for a portion of books, supplies and even tuition, which can encourage employees to pursue continuing education and may make it more likely that they continue working for you once they finish the classes or graduate with degrees.
  • Keep an eye on performance and priorities. While you want to encourage employees to improve themselves and thrive in their positions, it’s not feasible or advisable to let their absence from the company affect your bottom line. If it becomes apparent that an employee’s performance is slipping, it may be necessary for him or her to cut back on the number of classes being taken, or if that isn’t possible, you may need to hire someone to pick up the slack.
  • Consider online learning. Depending on your business and the classes required, it may be possible for employees to obtain some or all of their educational training online. Many virtual classroom programs allow employees to complete coursework during off hours. Even if your employees do need to attend class during work time, it will most likely only require taking an hour or so out of the day to log on, rather than having to leave the premises.

Read more articles about motivating employees.

Photo: iStock

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, blogger, speaker and novelist. Widely published, she has written 25 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. For many years, Julie was a columnist with the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Parade.com. In nonfiction, Julie specializes in home and garden, small business, personal finance, food, health and fitness, inspirational profiles and memoirs. She is founder and publisher of HealthyHouseplants.com and the YouTube channel Healthy Houseplants. Julie is also a prolific novelist who has penned two fiction series.