Training legal staff is essential for staff development, it has been claimed.

According to Selwyn Blyth, partner at Pinsent Masons and manager of tailored client training sessions, the value of staff training should not be underestimated.

Mr Blyth describes training as a "retention tool", which encourages staff engagement, making employees feel they are being invested in – something that can be important in times such as the current economic climate.

"Training is more than just desirable," Mr Blyth said.

"[Companies] really want to invest in people’s development – that is just as true in times of depression as it is times are good," he added.

In addition, Mr Blyth explained that companies will be less inclined to make redundancies when personnel have been trained, leading to "creative" ways of maintaining staff during the recession, such as pay freezes or salary cuts.

A full service law firm, Pinsent Masons has offices across the UK and Asia, specialising in services such as construction and intellectual property.

Related News:

• Prolonged New Year hangover for workers, predicts CIPD
• Employees ‘believe they are paid less than their worth’
• EU plans to increase maternity paid leave to 20 weeks
• Graduate job crunch ’set to ease’
• Over half of firms ‘gave pay rises last year’
• Could pay freezes put security at risk?
• Should ‘green issues’ be important to HR Managers?
• Recruitment expert offers 3 stage answer to staff departures
• Fewer pay freeze forecast by UK companies
• Public Sector could learn from Private Sector streamlining