Employee recognition - Does it tickle your fancy?

[OAS]

What works best is if the company spends money on training the employee and conveying skills needs to progress in one's career (i.e. if you work harder on presentation, become more visiable to the senior staff, learn this skill).

This is something I foster and support. An employee needs to take the inniative to sell their manager on what they want to do and I will approve the training within budget. It demonstrates the commitment of the employee that if they take the time to plan on their future,the company will invest in it. They are asked to sign an agreement that they must stay with us for some time or pay us back, but it works well.