When a company is hiring, one thing they look for is the development of skills and knowledge–whether it’s from their education or previous employment. But what about the development and advancement once they are your employee? Talented individuals hope to work for a company that will help them build upon the skills and knowledge leading to career advancement. If not, the risk of undermining your employee can lead to decreased productivity and the potential of your talented team member leaving for other opportunities. For managers who may have not recognized this essential need of their team members and are interested, or would like to enhance the method of development and advancement, considering the following:

Personal Interest in Employee Career Goals

Communication with your employees is critical, regardless of if you are managing your team on-site or remotely. Interaction with your team should include regular meetings to cover your goals as a group, but the individual goals and aspirations as well. This helps your staff feel valued, leading to greater productivity to achieve their ambitions as well as strengthened loyalty.

This can be recorded and evaluated by outlining a career path within the organization or through employee evaluations, usually reviewed every quarter or year. The implementation of this method can identify specific achievements as well as areas of improvement to achieve those goals. Clear and consistent communication can also lead to improved engagement.

Promote Training and Learning Opportunities

There are many opportunities for training and learning to fuel employee career growth. Encouraging your staff to pursue relevant business courses, workshops, and more will not only increase their knowledge and enhance their skill set, but provide a better end result for your projects, services, and other tasks. There are also virtual learning opportunities available, more so now than ever due to the coronavirus pandemic, that are also affordable if your budget cannot support national conferences and conventions. Employers should remember that investment in career development can result in a stronger return on investment (ROI).  

Encouraging your employees to keep up with industry trends and news can be beneficial as well. A lot of free publication sources are available with subscriber abilities so new notifications can be sent directly to their email. Industry events, in-person or virtual, featuring keynote speakers or a more in-depth discussion on a topic can enhance methods of production for employees. 

Mentoring, Shadowing, and Rotation

Establishing a mentor program might be a smart move for your company as well as an effective tool for onboarding new and remote employees. Often seen as a transfer of knowledge from more experienced to less-seasoned employees, mentoring offers an opportunity for senior professionals to have fresh perspectives and technological updates from up-and-coming employees. 

There is also the option of employees wanting to learn more about a different role within the team. Take opportunities for employees to perform other role tasks (whether it’s outside the office or during downtime in the workweek) through a job rotation program or scheduling differing roles in advance. Job rotation can increase cross-departmental collaboration and build rapport for remote team sessions, as well as give employees a better understanding of the business.
There are plenty of other opportunities to promote career advancement while having employees maintain a work-life balance, as well as development and recognition through the succession planning program. Staff Solve continues to provide high-quality candidates and jobs in diverse markets for over 27 years. Let us take on the stress off you so you can focus on your business to find the perfect applicant for the position. If you are looking for employment, please visit our job seeker page. If you would like more information about the services we offer employers, visit our employer page or contact us today.