As the costs of the Great Resignation continue to grow, companies need more ways to attract and retain employees. One clear approach is to offer more training and development — according to a 2019 LinkedIn study, 94% of employees said they would stay with their employer if it invested in their development.

However, the rise of remote work complicates things. In Training Magazine’s 2021 Training Industry Report, respondents said their biggest challenge was “getting people engaged in remote training.”

Some companies are trying to solve this through better technology. New delivery formats, like cohort-based courses and technologies like virtual reality can significantly enhance the effectiveness of remote training.

But another solution to engaging employees may lie closer to home: involving managers. A recent Gallup survey found that “at least 70% of the variance in team engagement is explained by the quality of the manager or team leader.” It would seem that this solution is often overlooked — most managers express a dim view of the effectiveness of their Learning and Development (L&D) function.

Companies should correct this. Below are five simple but effective steps to create a more active role for managers in training and developing employees….