How Investing in Your CFA^® Candidates Benefits Your Employees

This is the second in a three part series of articles focused on the significant benefits that investing in an effective CFA learning program can have for your organization and employees.

• Part 1: Benefits to Your Organization
• Part 2: Benefits to Your Employees
• Part 3: Critical Elements of a Successful CFA Learning Program

The CFA Charter is generally recognized internationally as the gold standard for investment and finance professionals. Candidates decide to embark on the arduous journey to become CFA Charterholders, because the resulting benefits can far outweigh the hard work and dedication it takes to become one.

Candidates, who achieve the CFA Charter, display traits that employers value, including a strong work ethic, time management skills, ability to focus, determination, and extensive knowledge about financial analysis and investment. These are the type of employees that most organizations desire to retain.

 There are, however, three significant complications to achieving the charter:

1. CFA exams are really difficult (the historical average pass rate for all exams is only 45%)
2. The average time to complete the CFA program is over four years making this a time-intensive, challenging and stressful journey 
3. The vast majority of CFA candidates also work  

A first step for organizations with employees, who are pursuing the CFA Charter, is to recognize their sacrifices. The second step is to support them throughout their journey.

As described in the first part of this three-part series, organizations that choose to support their employees by investing in a meaningful CFA learning solution stand to reap tangible benefits. Not only will your organization benefit, but so will your employees. This second article focuses on the employee benefits, including:

1. Maximizing successful outcomes on the CFA exam
2. Helping employees grow professionally and reach their career goals
3. Incentivizing them with financial support 
4. Having employees feel valued

Maximizing successful outcomes on the CFA exam

From an employee’s perspective, there are three direct advantages when your organization provides support during their CFA exam prep:

• Increased preparation efficiency
• Reduced stress
• Improved performance

How is this so?  

When candidates recognize that they are following a time-proven CFA exam prep methodology, it sets them in the right direction from the start. It enables them to focus on following the path to success, rather than wondering when and how to proceed, or if their study plan will be effective. This results in efficiencies throughout the preparation process. And it builds confidence, as candidates move forward with their studies, thereby reducing stress. 

Finally, participation in a Kaplan Schweser CFA exam prep program will improve exam performance, which, in turn, allows candidates to achieve the CFA Charter quicker.  In a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 94% of those surveyed who most recently passed the CFA® Level I exam and prepared with Kaplan Schweser believe that Kaplan Schweser played a significant role in helping them pass the exam_**.

Learn How Kaplan Schweser’s Corporate Programs Can Benefit Your Team and Organization

Helping employees grow professionally and reach their career goals

81% of CFA® charterholders decided to pursue the CFA charter to advance their career according to a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey_***. Employees who decide to pursue the CFA Charter are acting on their career aspirations. They have the drive to excel and be successful.  You can either support them in this endeavor or not. It’s clear which option yields better outcomes for everyone.

Recent McKinsey & Company research suggests it’s best to treat employees as though they’re here to stay. Invest in their development and demonstrate that they have a future in the organization. Identifying career paths and development plans, while supporting those learning journeys, provide employees with, ‘opportunities to fill their skills gaps to make their next internal move’. Otherwise, many will ultimately leave.

Creating a CFA learning program with Kaplan Schweser can meet this need. It provides the tools that finance employees not only require to succeed in their current job role, but to grow.

In a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 67% of CFA® charterholders were more satisfied with their career trajectory after having earned the CFA charter_***

This generates a huge win-win for both the employee and your organization. You get more skilled, happy employees and, in return, your employees get the opportunity to pursue and realize their career goals. 63% of CFA® charterholders feel more satisfied with their employer as a result of their employer having supported them in earning the charter according to the results of a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey_****.

Incentivizing employees with financial support 

The cost of training and exam fees over multiple years can be a sizable obstacle for finance employees as they consider the CFA Charter. The case for tuition assistance or an employer-sponsored CFA education program is strong, because these programs align with both the needs of the worker and your business. 

Financial support allows you to effectively upskill employees to help meet your workforce needs, while serving employees in their current role and throughout their career. It signals that your organization promotes a culture of learning, growth, and positive employee experiences. 

In a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 84% of CFA® charterholders agree that the CFA curriculum is valuable in their career after having earned the CFA charter_***

Access to these types of programs can alleviate the stress about how to pay for the CFA Charter, and  they are strong incentives that affect the ultimate decision as employees consider pursuing the charter.  

Having employees feel valued 

Supporting educational programs for employees is recognized to increase company loyalty. As employees experience support in their development, they feel that the company cares about them. According to a recent Kaplan Schweser CFA Survey, 71% of CFA® charterholders feel more valued by their employer as a result of their employer having supported them in earning the charter_****.

Offering tuition assistance within a formal CFA learning program explicitly helps build relevant and specialized job skills. It is a profound indicator that your company supports growth and values achievement.

Employees are grateful for these learning opportunities.  It puts them in the driver's seat of their own career development. How empowering! And what a great way for your organization to demonstrate your commitment to them.   

Part 3 in This Series: Elements of a Successful CFA Learning Program

The final article of our three-part series will focus on the critical elements of a successful CFA learning program for your team.

Preparing with the Industry Leader

Kaplan Schweser is the most respected and trusted CFA exam prep provider in the industry.  For more than 35 years, Kaplan Schweser has helped more than 700,000 candidates prepare for the CFA exam while supporting hundreds of financial services organizations*.

Discover how Kaplan Schweser’s CFA learning programs can help your organization achieve your talent development and cost-constraint goals.

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*Helped 700,000+ Candidates Prep for Exams: Net purchases of study packages containing the printed SchweserNotes™ bookset from 2008 through winter 2024 (less 2020).

**These are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by Kaplan between May 2 and May 27, 2024. For this survey, a sample of 728 CFA® Level I, II, and III candidates was interviewed online, of which 104 last passed the CFA Level I exam and prepared for that exam with Kaplan Schweser.

***These are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by Kaplan between May 2 and May 27, 2024. For this survey, a sample of 728 CFA® Level I, II, and III candidates was interviewed online, of which 307 are CFA charterholders.

**** These are the findings of a quantitative survey conducted by Kaplan between May 2 and May 27, 2024. For this survey, a sample of 728 CFA® Level I, II, and III candidates was interviewed online, of which 235 are CFA charterholders whose employer supported them in earning the charter.