Tóm tắt
PurposeDescribes how membership‐services company Associa has built “recreational training” into its training and development policy and allocates every employee £100 a year to learn a new skill, whether or not related to his or her job role at work.Design/methodology/approachContains details of the scheme provided by the company's training manager and director of human resources.FindingsReveals that employees have undertaken courses ranging from Spanish to water skiing and from jewellery making to Latin. Argues that recreational training is intended to encourage a holistic interest in learning and self‐development, and it also supports the company's desire to be an employer of choice and improve recruitment, retention and staff motivation.Practical implicationsShows that, while the company has no direct measurement of how the training may contribute to, for example, better productivity or higher employee retention, there is a feeling of excitement and positivism when people discuss their training and how pleased they feel to be able to do it and be supported in doing it.Originality/valueReveals that the company has noticed a greater awareness and appreciation of the value of training as a means to improve one's personal skill base. Starting from a base of very little training being provided, except for some continuing professional development, the company has used recreational training as a means to encourage learning.
