Employee development programs help employees learn new skills, grow their knowledge, and prepare them to take on new roles in a company. Ideally, this would be a continuous learning process each employee undergoes with the help of leadership.
Focusing on employee development is imperative if you want to retain talented employees, guarantee better performance, and become a top place people want to work. According to LinkedIn’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report, 93% of organizations are concerned about employee retention and the number one way they’re working toward improving retention is by providing learning opportunities.
Best practices to keep in mind as your organization works to provide employee development include the amount of support your employees receive, the feedback you give and the kinds of development provided.
Supporting Employee Career Growth is Key
Supporting employee career growth helps employees feel confident in their current role and future within an organization. When employees don’t feel supported by managers or leaders, they’re more likely to consider leaving.
A March 2022 Gartner survey reveals less than one-third of employees know how to progress their career over the next five years, and 45% are leaving their current employer for better professional development opportunities.
Three career growth strategies to focus on include helping employees:
- Set career trajectories
- Progress their career
- Achieve personal and professional goals
These strategies can be achieved through regularly provided feedback.
Provide Feedback Regularly
Although annual performance reviews are great for wrapping up a year, they’re no longer enough to satisfy employees. Whether formal or informal, one-on-one communication and encouraging others to reach their full potential on a regular basis drives employees to succeed.
Ways to provide regular feedback include celebrating successes, keeping track of career goals, and asking what skills employees wish to learn. Hotjar gives 5 tangible strategies for giving effective employee feedback:
- Have an in-person conversation in a timely manner
- Honestly share your thoughts without sugarcoating possible criticisms
- Make it clear your on the same team
- Provide specific and actionable feedback with context
- Be aware of any imbalance of power
Giving employees an opportunity to provide feedback to the organization also helps employee development. Leaders who assure employee voices are heard may use a weekly/bi-weekly short questionnaire, one-on-one check-in meetings, or project wrap ups where employees let each other know their strengths and areas for improvement.
Employee Growth and Development Ideas
An employee feels invested in an organization when their career growth is supported and they’re provided regular feedback. Employee investment can be strengthened from the growth and development opportunities described below.
Foster a company culture of learning
No one has all of the answers, and a company culture that recognizes this fact illustrates to employees the necessity to always be learning. One way to achieve this collective learning mindset is setting up an internal mentorship program to pair employees who are knowledgeable in a subject or skill with others who need to improve.
Senior employees can share their wisdom with junior employees who may be taking on more complex projects or training for a management role. On the other hand, new employees can share their ideas or skills from previous jobs with more seasoned colleagues.
Mentorships not only help create a sense of belonging, it’s an effective way to influence company culture and build a sense of community.
Encourage outside development
Employee development doesn’t need to come from your organization all the time. When leaders take the time to research actionable conferences, networking events, webinars, etc. from outside organizations, employees have the opportunity to build relationships with other professionals in their industry. This shows you are committed to their well-rounded growth.
Provide ongoing (personalized) training and learning opportunities
The more you learn about an employee’s career goals and skills they wish to learn, the more you can provide personalized training and learning opportunities from day one of employment.
One of the best ways to do this is by investing in workforce education that allows your employees to upskill efficiently. Providing your employees with the means to continue their education and build upon their skills shows them that your business is deeply invested in their personal and professional growth.
It not only enables them to do their jobs well, but also lends a sense of identity and ownership, which can make a big impact on retention. The more confident your employees are in the work they do, the more invested they’ll be in self-improvement and advancement within the company.
Improve Employee Development Today
The stronger your workforce is, the better equipped your business will be to grow today and in the future. Employee development is a long-term commitment to your team members and their careers. Investing in development helps to:
- Support employees’ career paths
- Maintain your organization’s competitive edge
- Increase employee engagement and retention
- Close skill gaps, and as a result improve performance
If one of your goals is to better your employee development practices through workforce development, then reach out to Lauren Holubec, Ed.D., Senior Vice President of Business and Workforce Development at Emerge Education.
