At the Wills Group, we believe that our employees are our most valuable assets, and we’re committed to helping them grow both personally and professionally. We’re excited to announce a new series of Learning and Development courses that complement our existing programs and provide more opportunities for our employees to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
These courses have been carefully selected based on feedback from our employees, including job satisfaction surveys like our annual Speak Up Employee Engagement Survey and the recent Great Place To Work survey, as well as talent reviews and direct input from all levels of the organization.
We understand that investing in our employees’ growth not only benefits them professionally and personally, but also helps us maintain a skilled and motivated workforce that can drive our company’s success. In fact, a study by Deloitte found that companies with a strong learning culture experience 37% higher productivity, are 92% more likely to innovate, and are 46% more likely to be leaders in their industry.
We believe that our success as a company is due in part to the priority we place on continuous learning. Each of our Learning and Development (L&D) courses are designed to provide ongoing training and development opportunities that go beyond just teaching new skills. We want to position our employees for the next role in their career journey.
“We place a huge emphasis on attracting the right talent, and our learning culture is key to retaining that talent, said Alison Lapointe, Director of Talent Development and Learning for the Wills Group. “We want our employees to see the Wills Group as a place where they can grow their careers over the long term. We believe that investing in learning and development opportunities for employees to gain knowledge, build skills, and advance within the company is a strategic investment in our future success.”
The Wills group is heavily invested in supporting our employees’ educational success for career advancement. Through our GEDWorks program, aspiring managers can earn their GED, and we offer 100% tuition reimbursement for those pursuing higher-level degrees. Our internal management curriculum, Careers in Motion, provides a variety of courses at different leadership levels, covering topics such as Effective Communication, Emotional Intelligence and Business Acumen. We strive to offer learning and development solutions that meet the needs of employees at all career stages and roles within our company.
Learning and Development opportunities are open to both corporate and retail employees through their talent development portal. These offerings are designed to be flexible, allowing employees to create their own unique paths by choosing courses that align with their career goals.
The new series of L&D courses run now through September and include:
Take Back Your Life
Learn sustainable models, behaviors, and technical skills for getting the right things done. Participants will learn essential skills for building a high-quality to-do list, managing projects, actions, and references, more effective communication, and thinking more strategically.
Communication Excellence
This course will ensure that business writing is thoughtful, professional and inclusive. Participants will be able to craft email messages that are concise, clear, personable and results-driven.
StrengthsFinder
The Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment is a proven way for participants to discover what they naturally do best, how to develop those talents into strengths, and use the report results to maximize potential, both personally and professionally.
InsideOut Coaching
InsideOut Coaching participants learn how to accelerate decision-making, improve accountability, communicate feedback quickly and effectively, and help teams keep commitments.
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is often perceived as causing negativity in the workplace, but it can be used for initiating change and improving communication. Participants in this session will take the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Assessment (TKI), which is used to learn about how different conflict-handling styles affect personal and group dynamics.
Management vs. Leadership
In the workplace, most people need to play the role of both manager and leader. The trick is knowing when to put on a more tactical managerial hat, and when to step into the role of leader. This session will help to define and differentiate these roles to allow participants to be more successful at both.
In addition to these six courses, our Learning and Development team is scheduled to launch two other programs in the coming months. First, a partnership with Cornell University to offer some of their best-in-class, virtual courses to our employees. And second, the launch of Careers in Motion, our leadership development curriculum consisting of Leadership Essentials for new managers and Strategic Leadership for managers of managers in Q4 of 2023.
At the Wills Group, investing in our employees’ growth is one of our core values. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, we empower our employees to enhance their skills, advance their careers, and reach their full potential at home and at work. This investment yields significant benefits, including higher levels of engagement, lower turnover and a steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional service to our customers.
If you’re interested in joining a team that loves to learn, check out our open positions on our website.
