The UK does not have a good record on employee training and development. Compared to many other developed countries the skill levels in our workforce are low. Government incentives to train and develop employees are not strong. – and many employers are fearful about giving employees skills which increase their value to competitor organisations.
“Train them and they will go elsewhere” is a common mantra.
Well, perhaps employees with higher levels of skills do deserve higher wages – and if those higher skills make the organisation more productive, perhaps the organisation can afford higher pay.
If the higher skills levels have not resulted in higher productivity, something is wrong. The organisation has not developed systems and processes which can exploit – or which even demand – higher skills levels.
Organisations should be continually refining working systems, processes and work methods to increase productivity – and which give employees meaningful and rewarding work to do.
The organisation should be treating these valuable assets (the highly skilled workers) well and the workers should feel well looked after and valued.
They then have no need, and no inclination to go elsewhere. This is a virtuous circle and should result in continuously increasing productivity – and resulting wage development.
Everyone is happy!