This article was originally published on Forbes with corporate leaders & executives as the intended target audience. Written by Liberty Munson of Microsoft & Forbes Human Resource Council, with contributions from Susan Farago of Salesforce and Jim Lucari from HPE.
In today’s competitive job market, certification is emerging as a strategic tool for both employee retention and business success. A 2021 Gallup survey revealed that “66 percent of workers ages 18-24 ranked learning new skills as the third-most important perk when evaluating new job opportunities.” Providing employees with opportunities to develop new skills and grow in their careers is important for retention because giving them the chance to take on more responsibility helps them feel more challenged and find their work more meaningful.
Companies that invest in certifications create a workforce that feels valued, which leads to higher retention rates. This helps avoid the costs and inconveniences of frequent hiring, and it helps leverage the expertise of professionals for a longer period. Moreover, certified employees demonstrate greater loyalty and commitment. This contributes to an internal culture of excellence and overall organizational success.
3 Benefits of Having Certified IT Professionals
Here are three key benefits your organization could see if you encourage certification among employees.
1. Supports Greater Performance
Research from Pearson VUE found that employees with IT certifications tend to outperform their non-credentialed peers through higher-quality work and greater productivity. While this research is focused on IT certifications, the results can be extrapolated to other types of certifications or credentialing.
According to an IDC study sponsored by the ITCC, where I serve as vice chair, IT teams with certified members complete projects 25% faster and have significantly greater success. Certified individuals perform better in key technology areas, including security, application development and cloud data engineering in machine learning.
One organization that recognizes the value of certifications is HSO (disclosure: this organization partners with my company, Microsoft). The global solution integrator’s dedication to training and certification helps employees grow their careers by learning the latest tech skills for business. This extends to workers across the organization, regardless of tenure or position, and serves as a way to ensure that each team member can meet their own professional goals.
2. Provides A Business Edge
Having certified employees can contribute to your organization building trust with customers. When your customers see that your employees are certified in skills that are important to their success, their confidence in your solutions increases. This leads to new sales, increased customer loyalty and repeat business.
To promote that your employees have demonstrated technical expertise by earning certifications, consider highlighting this on the home page or “About Us” page of your organization’s website. You could also ask employees to post their accomplishments on LinkedIn. Better yet, regularly post articles on your company’s LinkedIn page to highlight whenever members of the IT team earn new certifications.
3. Addresses Skills Shortage
Across the business world, there’s an IT skills shortage. According to the IDC’s 2024 Enterprise Resilience: IT Skilling Strategies report, “by 2026, more than 90% of organizations worldwide will feel the pain of the IT skills crisis, amounting to some $5.5 trillion in losses caused by product delays, impaired competitiveness, and loss of business.”
IT certification programs can help professionals expand their skill sets in areas related to AI, cloud administration and development, programming, cybersecurity and more. By seeking out certified candidates, you can ensure you’re bringing on the right talent to implement efficiency-driving technologies. It also helps you place candidates in the most impactful roles.
How to Leverage Certification
One common concern I hear from organizations is that if an employee gets certified, they’ll leave and take those skills with them. But investing in learning and development is actually key to retaining your employees. There are several ways that you can help your organization attract and retain certified employees.
Offer Certification Support Benefits
Today’s employees want their employers’ financial support when pursuing certification. Consider covering the costs of earning a certification, including training and sitting the required exams, and give employees the time and space to study. Certifications are difficult to earn, and by providing the right opportunities, your organization can showcase its dedication to continuous learning and development.
Build Career Paths Around Credentialing
As employees move from role to role or continue to advance in their current role, certification is one way they can stay up to date with the pace of change in their fields. With the half-life of a skill being approximately five years, it’s critically important for your organization’s success to ensure employees are aligned with industry standards. So building certifications into career paths is a strategic approach that benefits both your organization and your employees.
Certifications provide numerous benefits to your organization, including identifying and closing skills gaps, building trust with customers, completing projects efficiently and improving your reputation in the market. They’re a valuable investment if you’re looking to identify the right talent and build a capable, qualified and confident workforce. Invest in employee learning and careers. It’s as simple as that.
