Employers are getting a failing grade in how they manage their employees.

According to Saba Software, a provider of talent managementsolutions, businesses are not only out of step with theiremployees’ perceptions of engagement, training and careerdevelopment, they’re missing out on opportunities to take fulladvantage of employee talents and enthusiasm.

For one thing, more than half of human resources leaders (51percent) and employees (52 percent) believe their organizations donot have a good employee feedback process. Companies aren’tasking their employees for feedback on anything approaching aregular basis. And when they do, they’re selective about it,leaving out or underutilizing the opinions of whole segments of theemployee population.

Sixty-eight percent of baby boomers and 61 percent of femaleemployees say they were rarely asked for feedback, versus 56 percent of male employees.Women aren’t made to feel comfortable about providing feedback,either; the survey shows only 56 percent of women are comfortablegiving feedback, compared to 63 percent of men.

And there’s a sizeable disconnect between HR staff and otheremployees in how they perceive their companies’ efforts. Only 22percent of employees believe their organizations are very effectivein providing easy access to training and development, and the samepercentage believe their organizations provide training anddevelopment that helps in career advancement. But HR managers, onthe other hand, are significantly more optimistic about thecompanies’ efforts in those areas, at 41 percent and 43 percentrespectively.

Of course, that disconnect stems from companies that don’t checkwith employees for feedback. If they don’t ask, they aren’t awareof how employees regard their efforts.

But if companies want to hang on to good employees, they need towise up and reconsider their approaches to training anddevelopment, the study says.

Eighty-six percent of millennials, often the highest flight riskin the organization, say they would be more inclined to stay attheir current company if they were given access to quality trainingand development. That’s a higher percentage than older coworkers;boomers and Gen Xers are less likely to stay even when givenquality development. Just 76 percent of workers in the latter agegroups say training and development would keep them at theirjobs.