Giving workers opportunities to train and learn new skills can boost morale and job satisfaction, a professional body has said.
There is a "strong link" between employees' perception of their opportunities to develop their skills and their engagement with the organisation they work for, an expert has said.
Dilys Robinson, a principal research fellow with the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) believes that the improved prospects for promotion brought about through on-the-job training can boost morale.
However, she added that while development and progress are important for staff, pressure on those above them to achieve specific targets can have adverse consequences.
"A manager, for example, when under extreme pressure, may suddenly become very, very target-focused rather than people-focused and that can have a damaging effect," Ms Robinson noted.
Her comments come after a poll from YouGov and the Trade Union Congress found that six million UK employees are unsatisfied with their jobs. Of these, 30 per cent said they have poor promotion prospects, while another 27 per cent believe there is a lack of training in their company.
Around 73 per cent of those questioned identified the opportunity for promotion and advancement as an important factor in job satisfaction.
