There are many reasons your employees pursue professional certifications. Earning a certificate or designation validates the person’s high-level of expertise and often leads to added prestige … not to mention the fact that a professional certification may also yield a pay bump and generally puts holders ahead of the pack.

But did you know there are also benefits for your business? Here are four reasons helping staff earn a professional certification can be advantageous for your business:

1. Leads to happier employees — who stick around longer

Assisting your team in obtaining industry designations shows them you share in their desire to be the best they can be. People are happier working for organizations that are invested in their professional development and committed to helping them take the next steps in their career.

Employees also will feel noticed and valued by the company, and by you, as their manager. This sense of value can go a long way in prompting them to want to stay, which reduces one of your biggest headaches and expenses — staff turnover.

2. Encourages greater peace of mind

Certified employees learn from their training the importance of adhering to certain professional standards. You can more easily and confidently rely on your team’s ability to meet industry benchmarks and count on work of a higher and more consistent quality. That peace of mind is worth investing in.

Managers who promote professional development are able to get the most from their staff members — and hold on to them. Let Robert Half's staffing specialists partner with you as you develop your team.

3. Gives your clients greater confidence in your business

Encouraging your employees to earn a professional certification will tell your clients that your company holds its staff to the highest professional standards and will take very good care of them. Your customers will feel safer and more secure knowing they’re in certified hands.

4. Boosts productivity

Studies by a variety of organizations — including Microsoft, IDC, CompTIA and Novell — have shown that employees with a professional certification are more productive. That’s because certifications better prepare workers to deal with day-to-day challenges and get the most out of new technologies. Those certified in a software application, for example, are able to make greater use of the program’s advanced features. Certified employees often work more efficiently than uncertified colleagues, and their presence can help improve the productivity of team projects.

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