Support for learning high on Aussie Bosses’ priority lists

84% of Australian organisations pay for all or part of the costs of additional education and training programs for employees

6% of organisations support employees with flexible working hours, rather than monetary assistance for additional education and training

Almost two thirds (65%) of Australian finance and HR managers say training on intercultural behaviour would be helpful to assist their employees in the understanding of cultural differences

Australia is leading the charge when it comes to supporting the further education and training of its employees, the latest Robert Half Finance and Accounting Workplace survey has found1.

The survey found 84% of Australian finance and HR managers say their company pays all or part of the cost of additional education programs for employees, a figure higher than their counterparts globally (77%).

It was also found employer support comes in forms other than monetary assistance, with 6% of Australian finance and HR managers saying their company supports employees undertaking further training with more flexible working hours.

Nigel Barcham, Managing Director of Robert Half Finance and Accounting, says supporting employees through continued education is becoming a very important part of Australian companiesí employment and HR policies.

ìIt is the offer of benefits such as payment or reimbursement for additional education programs that can make or break an employeeís decision to work for a company,î Nigel says.

Almost two thirds (65%) of Australian finance and HR managers said that due to the globalisation of business, training on intercultural behaviour would be very helpful for most employees to assist in understanding cultural differences.

This attitude is reflected with similar figures globally (50%), although most strongly in Australia.

ìOver the past decade, Australia has truly become a global player, attracting workers from all over the worldî, Nigel says.

ìTraining on intercultural behaviour should be incorporated into every workplace to ensure staff coming into the organisation are able to integrate seamlessly with those already working there.î

When it comes to hiring new management staff, 60% of Australian finance and HR managers think a higher level of work experience should be an equal factor to outstanding graduation.

This sentiment is echoed in the 60% of UK and 57% of New Zealand respondents agreeing.

On the flip side, 36% of Australian respondents think work experience should be of more importance than academic results and an additional 3% think outstanding graduation results should be mandatory when hiring for management.

Nigel believes employers shouldnít discount the benefits of a candidateís experience in the workplace.

ìOutstanding academic results may show a candidate satisfies the role technically. However, work experience will often provide those higher level skills important to managers, such as problem solving skills, the ability to adapt to difficult situations and most importantly, people skills.

ìThose invaluable qualities make for a more ëroundedí manager, something a candidate with a degree alone will not necessarily possess,î Nigel concludes.

1 These are the results of an International Workplace survey, developed by Robert Half Finance and Accounting that was carried out in October-November in 11 countries: Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Luxemburg, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and United Kingdom. It was conducted by an independent research firm, and includes responses from 97 Finance Managers in Australia.