10 companies with awesome training and development programs

10 companies with awesome training and development programs

Fast-track your way to the corner office by applying for a job at a company that invests in its employees. 

If you’re looking for a career and not just any old job, set your sights on a company that invests in its employees by offering training and development programs. Research shows both companies and employees reap the benefits, including increased job satisfaction levels, internal promotion opportunities and better retention.

According to a report by Training Magazine, companies in the U.S. spend an average $4.5 billion on training and development programs for employees—so make sure you cash in on this opportunity. Check out these 10 companies offering programs that will help train you to be a better leader, manager and team player.

1. Seattle Genetics

What the company does: Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on developing antibody-based therapies to treat cancer.

Locations hiring: Bothell, Washington

Number of employees: 800

Programs offered: Tuition reimbursement, onsite training courses to enhance job-related skills and access to job-related conferences and seminars. “We encourage and support continuing education, offer onsite training to enhance job- and management-related skills and provide opportunities for our employees to attend job-related conferences and seminars,” says Taylor Cline, staffing associate.

Why the company offers this perk: “Developing our employees’ careers is an investment for both our employees and the future of Seattle Genetics,” says Cline.

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “Team members who bring enthusiasm to everything they do,” says Cline. “We look for employees who are constantly striving to attain individual goals while recognizing the power of working collaboratively.”

Find Seattle Genetics jobs on Monster.

2. SAS

What the company does: SAS is a leader in business analytics software and services.

Locations hiring: World headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, throughout the U.S. and internationally

Number of employees: Worldwide: 14,019; Company headquarters: 5,519

Programs offered: Emerging leadership programs for professional training and development, career mentoring and a career resource center. The SAS Academics program for sales and technical enablement provides both in-class and on-the-job training to ensure that recent grads are set up for success before moving into their full-time roles.

Why the company offers this perk: “Knowledge workers never want to be stagnant,” says Shannon Heath, senior communications specialist. “So SAS provides opportunities for growth to keep our employees challenged, motivated and engaged.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “We seek well-rounded individuals who are multi-dimensional and not so narrowly focused,” says Heath. “People who are good communicators and collaborators and can easily adapt to rapidly changing environments. We look for those who inspire leadership that sparks innovation, change and business transformation.”

Find SAS jobs on Monster.

3. Amazon

What the company does: Amazon.com is an e-commerce company that’s guided by four principles: customer obsession, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence and long-term thinking.

Locations hiring: Worldwide

Number of employees: 245,200 employees worldwide

Programs offered: An intensive, month-long training and leadership program prior to hire. Amazon prepays 95% of tuition for employees at fulfillment centers to take courses in in-demand fields. A “Virtual Contact Center” trains employees to work from home.

Why the company offers this perk: “We want our employees to be owners from day one,” says Teal Pennebaker, corporate communications manager, “so we train them to take ownership over products and services that impact millions of customers. This helps them pioneer a career at Amazon.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “We're a company of pioneers. We seek out people who want to make bold bets, take ownership and get their energy from inventing on behalf of customers,” says Pennebaker.

Find Amazon jobs on Monster.

4. Bonobos

What the company does: Founded in 2007, Bonobos has established itself as a leader in the retail industry for its innovative approach to launching vertically integrated e-commerce brands.

Locations hiring: Locations across the U.S.

Number of employees: 155 corporate employees and 165 retail associates

Programs offered: “Managing for Success” teaches management skills; “Fit for Success” focuses on performance management training; “How to Manage Up Well” trains associate-level employees to navigate relationships with senior employees; and “Know Your Customer” trains all employees to better understand the customer experience.

Why the company offers this perk: “The goal is to help our employees become better workers and to equip them with the skills they need to manage themselves and their teams,” says Tiff Poppa, senior manager of employee experience.

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “We hire based on our core virtues, which are hugely responsible for helping us hone our company culture,” says Poppa. “We believe it's about rallying people who enjoy each other's company and respect each other's skill. It's about working alongside people you rely on to spar with you intellectually one moment, then grab tacos with you the next.”

Find Bonobos jobs on Monster.

5. AT&T

What the company does: AT&T helps millions around the globe connect with entertainment, mobile, high-speed Internet and voice services.

Locations hiring: Locations across the U.S.

Number of employees: More than 280,000 worldwide

Programs offered: AT&T University is an executive-led program focused on leadership and management development housed at their Dallas headquarters, with satellite campuses across the U.S. In partnership with Georgia Tech and Udacity, Inc., AT&T helped create the first-ever Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMS CS) degree and partnered with Udacity to create and launch several self-paced, fast-track technical credentials called Nanodegrees across web and mobile development, data analytics and tech entrepreneurship, with more programs to come.

Why the company offers this perk: “We can’t depend on just hiring and the traditional educational system as sources for retooling or finding new talent. We need employees who are ready to work in a competitive and more digital world,” says Marty Richter, corporate communications manager. “We’re focused on aligning company leaders to strategic business innovation and results, skilling and reskilling our 280,000 employees and inspiring a culture of continuous learning.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “We’re looking for people who are enthusiastic about technology and innovation and have excellent communication and customer service skills,” says Richter. “We’re seeking people who can thrive in a fast-paced, diverse work environment and who have a commitment to the very highest standards of honesty, integrity and respect.”

Find AT&T jobs on Monster.

6. Randstad US

What the company does: Randstad US is one of the largest staffing organizations in the U.S., providing temporary-to-hire and permanent placement services each week to more than 100,000 people through its network of more than 900 branches and client-dedicated locations.

Locations hiring: Locations across the U.S.

Number of employees: 5,300 corporate employees

Programs offered: Training programs in the areas of certification, new manager skills, manager effectiveness, leadership development, communication and presentation skills, plus mentoring and coaching programs.

Why the company offers this perk: “We value our employees and encourage their professional growth and career mobility within the organization,” says Michelle Prince, senior vice president of talent management. “Providing professional development to employees is an important part of their career success at Randstad.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “Job seekers with a strong drive to succeed, strong judgment and strong work ethic,” says Prince.

Find Randstad jobs on Monster.

7. Paychex

What the company does: Paychex is a leading provider of integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, HR, retirement and insurance services.

Locations hiring: Rochester, New York; Greensboro, North Carolina; Phoenix; Nashville; Oklahoma City; Denver; Indianapolis; Hartford, Connecticut; Middletown, Ohio; Miami; and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Number of employees: 13,000

Programs offered: Customized new-hire training programs for sales and service employees. The new-hire programs are a combination of virtual learning at an employee’s home base and instructor-led learning at a state-of-the-art training facility in Rochester, New York.

Why the company offers this perk: “Our commitment to employee learning and development has been a strong contributor to company success for over two decades,” says Lisa Fleming, public relations manager. “This commitment has also benefited Paychex from a recruitment and retention perspective. Our training programs consistently get rated as one of the reasons people make the decision to work at Paychex.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “Our most-recruited positions are customer service, call center and outside sales positions,” says Fleming, “but we also often look for IT, management and HR generalist positions.”

Find Paychex jobs on Monster.

8. CyberCoders

What the company does: CyberCoders, a division of On Assignment, is a tech-focused permanent placement organization.

Locations hiring: Irvine and Los Angeles, California; Boston and Framingham, Massachusetts

Number of employees: More than 350

Programs offered: Through the Associate Recruiter Incubator Program, CyberCoders takes educated, highly driven, competitive individuals and teaches them to apply technology to a diverse marketplace.

Why the company offers this perk: “Competition for talent is intense, and we needed to find a way to attract the top competitors early in their careers,” explains Shane Lamb, President of CyberCoders. “We believe that equipping young professionals with the tools they need to build their business development and recruiting skills will lead to a long and successful career.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “Individuals who want to be part of a positive and hardworking team,” says Lamb.

Find CyberCoders jobs on Monster.

9. Schneider Electric

What the company does: Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and automation.

Locations hiring: Globally

Number of employees: 160,000

Programs offered: Schneider Electric University offers dedicated academies for executive development, leadership, customer education, energy and solutions, sales excellence and functional skills. The company also offers Energy University, a free online educational resource with more than 200 courses on energy efficiency and data center topics.

Why the company offers this perk: “We believe providing high-potential, early-career employees opportunities to build their portfolio with multiple positions in multiple locations across the company,” says Jenna Roland, employer branding specialist. “They will be stronger and more committed leaders of our organization in the future.”

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “We are looking for people to embrace our high-performance culture by being straightforward, open, passionate and effective and to challenge the status quo,” says Roland.

Find Schneider Electric jobs on Monster.

10. Marriott International Inc.

What the company does: Marriott International is a leading hotel and lodging company, with more than 4,400 properties in 85 countries and territories.

Locations hiring: All hotel and headquarter properties are hiring.

Number of employees: There are more than 200,000 employees at Marriott-managed properties, including 102,301 employees in the U.S.

Programs offered: Marriott International offers a variety of training to employees worldwide using multiple training delivery methods, including virtual and in-person. The training focuses on developing skills, and provides professional and career development training. Topic areas include work-life balance, leadership and management.

Why the company offers this perk: “Marriott International offers our associates training because we believe in the well-being and growth of each and every one,” says Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International.

What kind of employee the company is looking for: “When I’m looking to hire, I look for someone with passion,” says Sorenson. “We can train you to work at the front desk, but we can’t train you to be empathetic or to smile.”

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