(Leesburg, VA) – December 18, 2012 – The National Conference Center (NCC) composed three “building blocks” for companies with a dedication to employee recognition, training and development, and developing credible leadership.  “For every employer” offers National Conference Center General Manager Kurt Krause, “being ‘engaged’ could translate into any number of different things.”   Krause notes that an engaged company typically means there’s a committed focus on keeping your workforce engaged which means happier and more dedicated employees with a longer retention rate. According to Krause, “when we analyzed our top accounts at The National Conference Center, we saw a trend in training and development – 78% of the programs from our top 30 accounts focus on training.”

The Three Building Blocks of an Engaged Workforce

1.  Employee recognition - According to Fred Lang, a former Chief Learning Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce, “Valuing [an employee’s] skills and talents is one of the greatest retention tools.” Employees receive a confidence boost from in-person coaching that enables them to improve their skills and develop new ones. When managers recognize skills that employees aren’t utilizing, training can be offered to improve and develop those skills that boost employee engagement and, as a result, can increase company financial performance.


2.  Training and development – On-going training throughout an individual’s career provides them with the tools they need to succeed. Margie Kersten, a learning leader at Ernst & Young, says one long-term company benefit is that participants who receive training feel more connected to co-workers who are also in training. As a result, they are more engaged in their work, invested in the company and much more likely to stay. DiversityInc ranks Ernst & Young fourth for Recruitment and Retention, so Kersten’s spot-on notion rings true.

3.  Credible leadership – What makes a leader credible? Someone who is trained on business policies, ethics and has the skills to lead the organization to success. And, every senior-level executive needs the skills and leadership abilities to be an effective manager, and in turn, ensure satisfied and engaged employees. While identifying future leaders within the organization is an important practice Lang believes in, he explains that you cannot identify people for high-level leadership positions and expect them to automatically possess the skills and leadership abilities required of them. Lang insists, “You have to start lower. Leaders are leaders, but some of the leadership skills can be learned from other organizations that do it well.”

Training – more specifically leadership training – represents the largest business segment at The National Conference Center.  Training senior executives and employees beyond the first day is an investment in further developing employee skills, retention and an engaged workforce. High-quality employees are no longer willing to stay with a company where they don’t feel engaged and aren’t receiving further career development with training.   Krause noted that training is considered as non-negotiable for companies that want to compete and retain top-notch employees.

About The National Conference Center
The National Conference Center (NCC), located in Northern Virginia 12 miles from Dulles International Airport and 35 miles from Washington, D.C., is one of the largest and most comprehensive conference centers in the nation. With 917 guest rooms and over 250,000 square feet of meeting space, NCC has become a hub for productive meetings and is on the GSA schedule.  NCC is also home to West Belmont Place, Northern Virginia’s largest ballroom with 16,500 square feet for holding an elegant wedding or accommodating a large trade show or special event.   For information call 800-640-2684 or visit www.conferencecenter.com, or www.westbelmontplace.com

The National Conference Center is managed by ARAMARK Conference Centers.  ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com.