A friend recently shared with me an article he came across online: Workplace training is the last on the list of favorites, say most employees. The headline definitely caught my attention. The piece features the results of a survey acknowledging that employees view corporate training as their least favorite thing to engage in. No, it’s not limited to a single country or industry. In fact, the survey, conducted by the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies, took more than five years to complete and included 5,000 respondents from 63 countries.

Participants were asked to rate 10 ways of learning in the workplace from “Not Important” all the way up to “Essential.” Company training/e-learning ranked last with 60% of those surveyed believing it was not important. Are the millennials to blame for this? Not exactly. If anything, it’s the reverse. The data suggests younger employees favor workplace training more than older workers.

The numbers are certainly disappointing for organizations. In the U.S. alone, companies spend $165 billion annually on training, which equates to $1,208 per employee. It’s not all doom and gloom as there is a silver lining to all of this. According to the survey, knowledge sharing within the team is very essential for workplace success. When employees are involved, the chances they retain the information presented to them is at its highest. Engage, engage, engage! The data shows collaboration not only equals a happier workforce, it represents an educated one.

If company training practices seem dull and unmotivating to you, we’re here to help. Our team put together several articles addressing workplace learning and development and how organizations can enhance training practices designed for employee success.

How to Build Better Business Collaboration in 3 Easy Steps »

10 Training Trends You Need to Know for Business Success »

Numbers Never Lie: The Facts Behind Effective Training Technology »

‍