How To Integrate Training and Culture To Strengthen Your Company

Training is often viewed only as a requirement to meet legal obligations, to inform employees about company protocols, or to give some workers opportunities for advancement. According to the Association for Talent Development (ATD), companies that offer comprehensive training programs have been reported to show higher income per employee (218% higher) and a higher profit margin (24% higher) than companies without formalized training. A Gallup survey found that companies that offer training to engaged employees were, on average, 17% more productive and 21% more profitable.

Training may also contribute to the longer-term strength and viability of your company.

Training can help build and sustain a supportive culture. Deliberate skill development and opportunities for advancement can deepen culture by improving morale and engagement.

How training can activate culture

• It can develop employee awareness, motivation, and individual capabilities that make it easier for people to absorb and embody cultural values.
• It can foster social connections, create peer influence, and help develop psychological safety — factors that may build shared meaning among employees and teams.
• It can equip leaders with knowledge and tools to embed culture across the organization — including processes, policies, and talent systems — which can support sustainability and alignment. 

Training can also support efforts to build a more inclusive workplace by helping individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered. It can raise awareness of unconscious bias, increase appreciation for cultural differences, and foster belonging — factors that research links to engagement, innovation, and retention.

How culture can strengthen training

Just as training can influence culture, an organizational culture that values development can make training more purposeful and ongoing. A supportive culture can encourage curiosity, help employees feel valued, and make it easier to align training with business goals — which may improve engagement, performance, and retention.

A culture that supports learning can also help employees apply new skills, think critically, and take calculated risks. It can promote experimentation and collaboration and help facilitate knowledge transfer so that expertise is less likely to leave with departing employees.

LinkedIn reports that 88% of organizations identify employee retention as a top concern. To encourage commitment, many businesses use training to support internal advancement and to retain talent; Lorman reports that 70% of employees would consider moving to companies that invest in training. Integrating training into an organization’s ethos can help make development a more consistent part of how the company operates.

How Marsh McLennan Agency can help 

In 2024, less than half of U.S. employees participated in any education or training for their current job, according to Workplace. Deloitte found that while most executives and employees consider workplace culture important to business success, a smaller share of executives believe their company has the “right” culture. That gap may create an opportunity for organizations to strengthen both training and culture — and Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) can assist.

Employee training can support organizational objectives, including retention. Professional development can be tailored to address industry-specific, departmental, and individual needs.

Our team provides skill-building and awareness programs, supports the development of social norms and team dynamics, and can work with you to integrate culture into systems and leadership practices.

You can use our Culture Snapshot to self-assess the current state of your culture. To learn more, contact MMA today.