Employee Development

Definition:

Employee development is a common term in the workplace culture, but what does it mean
precisely? Team member development has traditionally been defined as improving the worker's
existing skills and knowledge through a collaborative effort between the employer and the
employee. It has several aspects to it. It could include training the workforce in the use of new
technologies or software, providing comprehensive training to help promote leadership and
management skills, or educating them on improving their overall performance.

It is vital to understand that employee development is not a mandatory program. It has to go

beyond having annual meetings with the employees where their skills are highlighted and
appreciated, and suggestions to work on their areas of weakness are made. Employee
development is a comprehensive effort, requiring time and patience. For example, letting go of
employees because of weaker skills or skills that don't match the organization's standards can be
costly, and finding a replacement is often highly time-consuming. However, employee
development initiatives and training programs can help prevent this, making it a mutually
beneficial Endeavor.

Benefits of An Employee Development

1-Attracts Top Talents

For companies desiring to attain their most difficult but cherished goals, it is essential to have a
highly talented workforce. An effective employee development plan has the potential to attract
talented prospects. Naturally engaged employees know precisely what they want, and your
employee development plan can surely attract them. According to several published reports, it
has been effectively concluded that one of the primary reasons for job seekers searching for new
jobs is to learn new skills. You can surely attract such high-value prospects if your firm can help
them achieve those skills through actionable employee development plans.

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Furthermore, your company's approaches to employee development can be a part of your job
offering as a benefits package. It can indicate prospective talents that your company actively
invests to improve employee engagement and employee performance. It shows that your firm
cares about the people who work for them and helps them achieve their professional
development goals.

2- Improves Employee Performance

Companies must understand that employees are dedicated to improving and want to perform
well. Employee satisfaction is a critical component of effective business strategies, and
employees who perform well tend to be less frustrated and anxious. Poor employee performance
is directly related to their lack of understanding about the job to be performed. A carefully
thought-out employee development strategy can help employees cultivate continuous learning
habits, learn about resolutions to their most pressing work-related concerns, and work towards
their personal growth. They may want to improve their soft skills or may need leadership
training. With employee development activities, companies can ensure their employees are
adequately receiving the training to enhance their skills and help them perform well at their jobs.
These activities can further improve employee satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity.

For better assessment and employee training plans and to see an improvement in them, it is vital
that companies duly understand the main reasons why employees are underperforming. Once the
causes are identified, it can help you pay more attention to employee development plans and
make changes accordingly.

3- Better Management of Unexpected Events

Today's industry trends are highly dynamic, where change is the only constant. However,
changes bring new challenges, but if they are handled effectively, they can bring forth previously
unavailable opportunities. These opportunities become key drivers for your workforce to manage
these changes seamlessly.

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Adaptable employees are generally considered to be experts in managing such unforeseen
events. Effective development programs can ensure that your employees are adept at handling
unexpected situations commendably, without significant errors.

4- Increases Employee Engagement

Managers often cite employee engagement as an integral part of their management operations.
Engaged employees are less prone to safety hazards on the job; they tend to be more loyal,
productive and are more forthcoming and willing to perform tasks above and beyond their
assigned roles. However, keeping the employees engaged and motivating them to perform at
their best is often challenging. Having heavy workloads can be a demotivating factor if the
employees cannot effectively manage them. Through effective employee development methods,
companies can train their employees to become better adept at handling larger workloads, if and
when it is necessary. Besides, the manager must ensure their employees are not overworked
because it can be greatly demotivating, stressful, and effective employee development methods
can help companies avoid that.

Engaged employees are more likely to work with a sense of urgency, which ultimately increases
their focus on the job. Furthermore, if employees can fulfill their career development plans, they
are more motivated to engage in daily operations more earnestly. It can make them feel
optimistic about their ability to succeed, reflected in their engagement rates.

5- Prepare Future Leaders

To achieve complex goals which require robust management and leadership, organizations need
to have strong leaders. They must have a clear conception about their management and
leadership team ten years from now. Do their new recruits have the potential to take up
leadership roles in the future, or do they need practical training which can help them become
strong leaders in the future? When you have employee skills development programs, it can give
you the discretion to select and further train those prospective leaders. Investing in a solid
employee development program means that you can train the selected individuals to become
promising leaders in the future.
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When companies invest in a solid employee development program to prepare future leaders, they
have a pool of talented leaders who are highly loyal to their organization. They will be well
aware of what it takes to take companies to newer heights and will be committed to helping such
companies expand. This can be considered as one of the most important benefits of staff
development.

6- Improves Job Satisfaction

To better assess employee training, it is crucial to see if your trained employees are satisfied with
their job and can reap the benefits of career development programs. Job satisfaction is an integral
aspect for improving employee retention rates because employees who are not satisfied with
their present job will more likely look for job opportunities elsewhere. Satisfied employees are
happy employees who can offer excellent service to the customers. If employees are made aware
that their company is actively investing in them to help them make progress in their careers, they
will likely feel more satisfied with their job.

Some companies wrongly assume that job satisfaction can be achieved through attractive perks
such as an on-site gym or giving them free lunch. While it is true that these measures add to
employee job satisfaction and inculcate the culture of learning, genuine job satisfaction comes
from fostering work environments where employees can contribute to reaching their maximum
potential. Management communications about employee development should focus on these
areas, and they must ensure that their programs keep current employees satisfied, helping them
perform optimally.

7- Improves the Existing Skills And Knowledge of The Employees

Employee development opportunities are an excellent way for your employees to improve and
learn new skills. It ultimately promotes a work environment where everyone has the chance to
make significant career strides. When people succeed, so does your company. Therefore,
organizations need to evaluate their employee development process and improve further.
Consequently, strategies will need to be created to help the employees strengthen their weakest
areas through targeted, effective employee development programs. It can help improve the
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leadership skills and knowledge of the employees where it's needed most as it can better help
them contribute to the organization's overall success.

8- Achieve Cost-Efficiency Through Retaining Employees

Investing in improving existing employees' skill set through core skills development can help
companies ensure that their workforce performs as needed to keep their daily operations running
smoothly. Furthermore, such programs can help companies achieve long-term cost savings as the
cost of replacing and hiring a new employee is far more than the cost of retaining an employee.
Therefore, developing the existing workforce can help companies save money in the long run
and so this makes this one of the most important advantages of staff development. Besides,
training the employees who are already familiar with the culture and who feel a sense of
belongingness with the company can receive a tremendous motivational boost through employee
development programs.

How To Create a High-Impact Employee Development Program?

Companies that are quick to implement employee training programs for the newly on-boarded
employees will positively impact the cohesive workforce performance throughout their tenure in
the company. Below is a list of four essential steps you should follow to successfully implement
an employee development program in your organization.

1- Soft Skills Development

Training for soft skills and improving interpersonal communication skills is one of the critical
trends for talent development in 2021, which will likely follow through the following year. The
driving factor for soft skills development is automation, innovation, technological advancements,
and the increasing need for employees to communicate through all the organization's channels
effectively.

Companies need adaptable, intelligent thinkers who can communicate expertly and self-aware
about their skills and where they need improvement. For organizations, their employees must be

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effective communicators as a lack of proper communication can severely derail or delay critical
organizational projects. Besides, learning soft skills can be more complicated than learning
complex skills. Hence, the culture of learning encourages employees to set additional
development goals to excel at work.

2- Personalized Development

A generation ago, delivering personalized and tailored learning experiences at a larger scale was
entirely out of reach for most organizations. However, with the rise of modern talent
development technology, training programs can be tailored for individual needs. Targeting
workplace development programs with a one-size-fits-all approach is inconducive to a
diversified workplace environment. Companies should assess employees on their specific skills,
leadership qualities, technological knowledge, and other related metrics.

3- Emphasis on Digital Learning

Agile learning methodologies that focus on speed, collaboration, and flexibility are the future of
employee training and development programs. Organizations need to minimize hindrances to
learning by engaging prospective talents using the existing platforms they already use. This
approach will enable senior leaders to manage the current skill gap effectively. It can be achieved
by adequately upskilling the existing workforce for improved operational efficiency.
Furthermore, the senior employees can also benefit from a digital learning program, as they may
not be as proficient at using newer digital technologies compared to the younger employees
within the organization.

4- Have A Strategic Development Plan

As per the report released by the World Economic Forum, over 50 percent of the workforce will
have to be upskilled or reskilled by 2025. Considering the increasing skill-gap, and the need to
upskill, organizations must actively take measures to upskill and reskill their task force.

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The first step towards this is by having a clearly defined set of business goals. The upskilling and
reskilling endeavours can maintain and promote company growth. While planning for future
expansion and developing training solutions that can target business goals, management must
combine with the concerned stakeholders to identify the present and future skill gaps.

What are the areas of Development for Employees?

Understanding the areas of development within the workforce is not as straightforward as it

seems. HR leaders should pinpoint what needs to be improved and changed and specific areas
that need immediate attention. Without having a comprehensive understanding of this, HR
leaders will struggle to develop an effective team member development program.

These critical areas need to be actively identified. It could be conflict management or

relationship building. Some employees may improve their soft skills, and it could be their hard
skills for some. Focusing on the precise areas of improvement will increase the efficiency of the
development programs and help prevent wasteful efforts.

Employee Development Program for Corporate Benefits

In conclusion, employee development plans provide opportunities to increase proficiency and

develop practical knowledge, indicating an employer's value and appreciation for their
employees. Following are the key benefits of having a better-trained workforce in your
organization.

1-Improve Work Culture

Employees who feel appreciated by the company and access a mentoring program are more
likely to engage and find meaningful connections with their work. It's an opportunity for
companies to maximize the potential of their workforce without overworking them.
Consequently, development initiatives can foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the
employer and the employee, leading to a robust, motivated, and productive workforce culture.

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Furthermore, irrespective of a company's existing training programs, an employee development
program can never produce the desired results if the current work culture does not promote or
encourage learning programs. Organizations must have a support system where a culture of
continuous development is available, which can keep track of the industrial changes and
implement relevant training programs to ensure the workforce is not too severely affected by the
changes. Instead, such training programs can better adapt to such changes and keep the work
relevant to the new changes.

2-Improve the Quality of Work

The benefits of a team member development program and its value have a ripple effect. Leaders
can feel more competent and magnify team member performance. In effect, it will help
employees become more skilled and engaged, resulting in increased job satisfaction,
commitment, and better retention rates. That being the case, an improvement in workforce
engagement and retention rates can benefit the organization and its overall profitability due to an
improvement in the quality of work. Additionally, it is critical to ensure that the type of training
and development provided is well aligned with the future workspace needs, upholds the
company's business objectives, and should be innovative enough to reflect the digital
transformation in the industry.

Lastly, your employees are brimming with potential and are presumably eager to learn new
skills, gain more knowledge, and tackle workplace difficulties commendably. Developing a
robust employee development program can help them access individuals, resources, and
opportunities they genuinely need to make steady progress. As HR leaders, you should strive to
help them at all the stages of their careers and maintain constant communication with them to
know if they are dealing with difficult workplace situations or need additional support in
completing specific tasks. It can be highly positive and rewarding to see your employees grow.
You can feel a sense of contentment to see the employees you have ardently helped to grow in
their careers make a meaningful contribution to its expansion and success.

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 Role of Human Resources in Employee Development

Human resource professionals play an essential role in creating a culture in organization where
every employee takes trainings and employee development activities seriously. Invite all your
employees on a common platform and highlight the importance of trainings and how such
initiatives would help employees grow both professionally as well as personally. It is a common
practice that Human resource professionals only interact with the functional heads, managers or
team leaders expecting them to pass on the information to their team members. Please avoid such
a practice. Remember, as a human resource professional, you are the face of the organization.
Your duty is not just to interact with the managers or supervisors, but with each and every
individual who is on rolls of the organization. Employees will only believe you if you sit with
them and discuss the challenges they face in their routine work.

Try to find out in what all areas an employee is lacking and what all new skills would help him
be an efficient resource. Trust me if you are a little patient, an individual would open his/her
heart to you, rather than being candid in front of his/her boss. Understand that no two employees
can have similar needs and requirements. Ideally make a case file of each and every employee.
Take the help of their superiors as well. Design relevant training programs for employees which
would be of use to them and prepare them to face unforeseen situations with a smile. Divide
employees into groups (Employees with similar needs can be put in one group) according to their
training needs and if need be, arrange exclusive training programs for them. Do not hesitate if
you have to call someone from outside for employee development activities. Trust me; your
employees are your organization’s real assets. It is the responsibility of a human resource
professional to motivate the employees to participate in employee development activities. Make
them believe that the future of the organization lies in their shoulders only. Make them feel
important. Encourage them to upgrade their existing knowledge from time to time to become
indispensable resources for the organization.

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Employees who acquire new learnings and enhance their skills from time to time would
definitely perform better than lazy ones who come just to pick their pay checks. Felicitate
employees who perform well. Let others realize their mistakes of not attending training
programs, WebEx sessions and any other activities you organized for their development. Give
certificates of participation to employees who attend the training programs.

Do not conduct trainings just for the sake of it. Be extremely careful about the contents of the
training program. There is absolutely no use of boring speeches and meaningless presentations.
Believe me, people might attend such programs once, but will never come back. They will give
you thousands of excuses to avoid the same. The content has to be really meaningful and in lines
with the requirement of employees. Encourage two-way communication in employee
development activities. Instruct the trainer to involve the employees well. Give them tasks and
ask them to submit the reports within two days. Do give them a deadline.

Employee Development Activities do not always mean organizing training programs, seminars,
or conferences. Do take your employees out for picnics, get-togethers once in a while. Such
initiatives strengthen the relationship between employees and their seniors. Organize award
functions where employees who perform exceptionally well through out the year are appreciated
in front of the entire organization. Put their names on their notice boards, office journal and so
on.

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