Does a company that invests in your development actually keep you more engaged – or is that just HR spin?
Over the last few years, the evidence has become pretty overwhelming:
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Research in the International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science found that training and development had the strongest positive effect on employee retention among all factors studied, significantly increasing the likelihood that people stay.
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UK sector data shows turnover was 9 percentage points lower for staff who received training (31.6%) compared with those who did not (40.6%), and fell further when employees had frequent training opportunities.
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A synthesis of learning and development research for the UK government concluded there is clear evidence linking training and development with higher employee engagement, wellbeing and reduced turnover intentions.
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Multiple studies report that around 94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their learning and development, reinforcing the link between development and loyalty.
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On the cost side, replacing an employee can cost around one‑fifth of their annual salary in recruitment, onboarding and lost productivity – and up to double their salary in some sectors. Reducing avoidable turnover through better training is therefore a direct cost saving, not a “nice to have”.
When organisations get learning and development right, they don’t just create more capable people – they create people who are more engaged, more loyal and far less likely to leave. That shows up in reduced hiring costs, less disruption, and stronger performance over time.
So my question to you:
Has a company’s investment (or lack of investment) in your development ever been the deciding factor in whether you stayed or left?
I’d love to hear real examples – what genuinely made a difference to your engagement and loyalty?
If you’re serious about reducing turnover, boosting engagement and protecting your bottom line, now is the moment to act.
Take a fresh look at your learning and development strategy:
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Where are you currently underinvesting in your people?
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Which critical roles are most at risk of walking out the door?
Start with one focused step – whether that’s a targeted training programme, clearer development pathways or better support for your managers – and measure the impact over the next 6–12 months.
If you’d like help turning this into a practical L&D plan for your organisation, let’s connect and explore what would work best for your team.
Click here to book a free-20 min chat – no selling, just a conversation
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Sources for the stats above (worth a read if you work in HR, L&D or leadership):
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UK Government rapid review on learning, engagement and wellbeing:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679b7f91413ef177de146c5a/REPORT_What_do_we_know_about_the_nature_of_the_relationship_between_learning_and_development_and_employee_engagement__wellbeing__attraction_an.pdf - Skills for Care – data on learning, development and retention:
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and-events/blogs/what-data-tells-us-about-how-learning-and-development-supports-retention[skillsforcare.org] -
The Impact of Training and Development on Organizational Performance:
https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-impact-of-training-and-development-on-organizational-performance/[rsisinternational] -
Lorman – statistics on the value of employee training and development:
https://www.lorman.com/blog/post/39-statistics-that-prove-the-value-of-employee-training[lorman] -
Shift eLearning – statistics on training and turnover:
https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/statistics-value-of-employee-training-and-development[shiftelearning] -
Awardco – training and turnover rates:
https://www.awardco.com/uk/blog/exploring-the-relationship-between-employee-training-opportunities-turnover-rates[awardco] -
ATD – cost of training vs cost of staff turnover:
https://www.td.org/content/atd-blog/the-cost-of-training-versus-the-cost-of-staff-turnover[td]
