Employee Development

Plan
Employee/Supervisor Guide
Table of Contents

Preparing for the Discussion – The EDP Meeting 2

Step #1: Explore Professional Interests 3
Step #2: Set SMART Goals 4
Step #3: Create a Development Plan 5
Step #4: SMARTER Goals - Evaluate and Review 7
Additional Resources 8
Conclusion 9

1
Preparing for the Discussion – The EDP Meeting
This booklet is a resource that aids in the creation of an employee development plan.
An employee development plan (EDP) is a process that helps individuals improve skills
for their current job and/or gain new knowledge, skills, and abilities for new positions in
the future. This process is owned and led by the employee with support from the
manager.
This collaborative process is separate from the performance management process and
is intended to focus on the career development of the employee. Both individuals should
commit to regular check-ins regarding the plan.

Employee Role Manager Role

Prepare for the meeting: Prepare for the meeting:
• Review your most recent performance • Review the employees most recent
appraisal and previous EDP (if any) performance appraisal and previous
• Think about the knowledge, skills, and EDP (if any)
abilities needed for your current role • Consider various resources and
or future roles outlets the employee could turn to for
• Complete pages 3-5 of this EDP developmental opportunities
booklet • Think about the strengths and areas
• Be prepared to lead the discussion of interest of the employee and how
with your supervisor as this is your you can enable them to use them
development plan more
• Share pages 3-5 electronically prior to • Review the completed pages 3-5 from
the meeting the EDP, make notes as needed

At the meeting: At the meeting:

• Provide insight and context to your • Add context to the EDP based on
supervisor regarding your SMART direction of the department, division,
goals and how you arrived at them and RIT at large
• Ask for feedback and perspective • Clearly outline how you will be able to
from your supervisor regarding your support the EDP
EDP • Collaborate on check-in times with the
• Create check-in times with your employee
supervisor specific to your EDP

2
Step #1: Explore Professional Interests
Use the following questions as a discussion tool to determine some areas of interest of
the employee.
1.) What components of the current job does the employee enjoy the most? Least?

2.) What types of projects would the employee like to do more of? Less of?

3.) What skills or knowledge would the employee like to learn more about and
improve?

4.) What skills or knowledge do others recognize in the employee?

5.) What new things would you like to learn about or do? How does the employee
like to learn?

6.) Other?

3
Step #2: Set SMART Goals
Identify at least one short term (one year) and one long term (five years) goal pertaining
to your career development. Utilize the SMART goal methodology to help create your
goals. Here are a few questions to help you for each portion of the goal:
Specific – Who, what, where, why, when?
Measureable – How much? How many? What are the milestones?
Attainable – Is the goal possible for you at this point in time?
Relevant – How is this connected to my overarching career and development goals?
Time-bound – What is my target date of completion?

Short-Term Goal:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-bound

Long-Term Goal:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-bound

4
Step #3: Create a Development Plan
There are many ways to achieve SMART goals in an employee development plan.
Consider some of the following activities that can be used as action steps in an EDP.
Learning through doing:
• Stretch assignments in current role
• Mentoring and/or teaching others, knowledge sharing
• Cross-training opportunities
• Joining a committee, project team, or task force
• Taking on a process improvement project in your department
Learning through resources:
• Attending classroom training both on and off campus
• Utilizing LinkedIn Learning, virtual training or other electronic resources
• Attending a conference
• Formal education programs/degree pursuit
• Joining professional associations
• Obtaining certifications
• Reading professional books, magazines, and journals
Learning through others:
• Find mentors for areas of interest
• Networking opportunities
• Job shadowing
• Informational interviews

5
Step #3: Create a Development Plan (continued)
Referring to the SMART goals from Step #2, create a development plan by identifying
various action steps needed to achieve the goal.

Completion
SMART Goal Action Steps/Plan Deliverable(s)
Date(s)
Complete “Creating and
Giving Business
Presentations” in Talent 1.) Lead three committee
Roadmap. 2-13-21 meetings and
Example: Complete “Public Speaking document results of
By June 30th, I would like Foundations” in Talent the meetings.
to improve my public Roadmap. 3-18-21 2.) Complete a business
speaking abilities in Have a “prep session” with presentation.
meetings and supervisor and go through 3.) Debrief with
presentations by leading a dry run of the supervisor focusing in
three committee meetings presentation. 3-29-21 on feedback.
and presenting at one Design meeting agendas
meeting. for upcoming meetings I
am leading. 4-9-21

6
Step #4: SMARTER Goals - Evaluate and Review
After completing all of the action steps and deliverables in the development plan from
Step #3, it is time to reflect and see what the employee has learned. Revisit the SMART
goals from Step #2 and make them SMARTER goals by adding the next two sections:
E – Evaluate
R – Review

Use the following questions to evaluate and review each of the SMART goals. This should
be a discussion and review with the employee and supervisor.
What have you learned? • What have you learned about yourself?
• What have you learned about your goals?
• What have you learned about working with
others?
• What skills and knowledge would you like to
gain?
• What successes have you had?
How will you use what • How are you setting yourself up for success?
you have learned? • What has been disappointing?
• What can you take from those experiences?
• What would you like to repeat?
• What would you like to avoid?
• What will you like to do more or less of?
• How will you use what you have learned?
How can we improve • How is development working for you?
your development • What obstacles have you had?
process? • How will you work through the obstacles?
• What could we do differently next time?

Notes:

Follow-up Activities:

Lessons Learned:

New SMART Goal:

7
Additional Resources
There are many resources on campus that can assist with career development. Below
are learning kits that contain resources employees can utilize. These learning kits and
any LinkedIn Learning courses can be used while creating an employee development
plan and in for preparation for career development.

Employee:

Career Resumes & Interviewing Networking &

Development Cover Letters Mentors

Manager:
Setting Team and Employee Goals
Coaching and Developing Employees
Delivering Employee Feedback
Having Career Conversations with Your Team
Mentoring Others
Being a Good Mentor

8
Conclusion

This is only the beginning of the employee development journey. It is an iterative

process that should be repeated with new goals on a regular basis. Review them, revise
them, renew them and always continue learning.

“Curiosity is the compass that leads us to our passions.

Follow it and you won’t be disappointed.
The future belongs to the curious.”
-Author Unknown