Employee development is the process of enhancing employees' skills, knowledge, and competencies, benefiting individuals and organizations by fostering growth, adaptability, and long-term success. As such, employee development is generally viewed as a strategic investment.
Although it can be easy to think of the rank-and-file employees of an organization as somehow less essential than managers and C-suite executive teams, the truth is that employees are the most valuable resources a company has. The living, breathing, thinking human assets that make up your workforce are the driving force of your success. Whether they are on the front lines representing your brand and guiding positive customer experiences, or behind the scenes developing new products or ensuring effective processes, your employees' capabilities define your company’s future.
So why not invest in them?
Employee development—training and education facilitated by employers to help support their workforce in building professional competencies—creates opportunities for your staff to grow their career paths, and, as they do so, directly improve their value to your business. Done correctly, employee development creates a win/win scenario, where everyone involved benefits from the investment.
Improving employees leads to improving the organization as a whole—it’s an easy concept to wrap one’s head around. Still, it is worth taking a closer look at exactly how this approach stands to benefit a company. In terms of business advantages, correctly implementing employee development initiatives has the potential to:
Possibly the most obvious advantage is the opportunity to upskill your workforce. Training and development programs equip employees with the abilities they need to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively, and to take on new responsibilities. This not only enhances their performance but also boosts their motivation and job satisfaction, leading to higher productivity—and better returns.
Investing in employee development reflects positively on your organization's public image. It demonstrates a commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of learning and growth. Given that your reputation as an employer can have a significant impact not only on prospective hires but also on those that make up your customer base, enhancing your brand through employee development means greater returns.
As suggested above, potential job candidates place immense importance on development opportunities. When organizations offer structured employee development programs, it signals to prospective employees that the company is dedicated to helping them acquire the skills necessary for career advancement.
Employee development does more than simply attract valuable employees; it also makes it easier to retain them. Employees are more likely to stay with a company that invests in their continued growth and offers ongoing opportunities for advancement.
After attracting, upskilling, and retaining top talent, a natural next step is to guide that talent towards increased responsibility within your organization. Employee development programs provide the tools and knowledge needed to train future leaders, and as employees acquire new skills and competencies, they become better-equipped to take on managerial roles and further contribute to the company's long-term success.
In rapidly changing modern business environments, employee development empowers organizations to adapt pivot to face even the most unexpected situations. Well-trained employees are more adaptable and capable of responding to market shifts and emerging opportunities, making the business more agile and competitive.
Professional development opportunities keep employees up to date on industry trends, new techniques, processes, and technology. This continuous learning fosters innovation, increases efficiency, and ultimately contributes to better overall business performance.
Unfortunately, despite the clear benefits of employee learning and upskilling opportunities, many leaders struggle with understanding exactly how to correctly promote employee development as a business initiative. Even so, crafting an effective employee development plan is essential for nurturing your workforce and aligning their growth with the organization's objectives.
As you consider your employee-development strategy, be sure to include the following steps:
Begin by assessing your company's long-term strategy and growth objectives. Understanding where your organization is headed will help tailor employee development initiatives to support these goals. Consider the skills and competencies your workforce will need to contribute effectively to future success.
The objectives of any employee development program should be to support your organization’s long-term goals and help find tomorrow’s leaders in your current workforce, and both depend on your ability to create opportunities that employees are interested in. If your employee development program fails to get off the ground, lack of employee interest may be the culprit.
What up-skilling opportunities are likely to be the most enticing? Those that address competencies that your top talent may be lacking. Discover what these may be by conducting a thorough skills assessment to identify the gaps in your employees' current skill sets.
This step involves evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of individual employees in relation to their current roles and future career aspirations. Pinpointing these gaps is crucial for designing targeted development plans.
Employee development requires employee commitment to be effective, and not all employees may be equally interested in career development opportunities. Speak with managers and review employee feedback forms to identify individuals within your workforce who are motivated to enhance their skills and advance their careers.
Engaging those who are genuinely interested will yield better results and ensure a higher level of commitment, to say nothing of retaining your most valuable team members.
With important skills gaps and top growth candidates identified, it’s time to start the actual planning. Work with the candidates to determine what kinds of strengths and weaknesses they bring to the table, and what they hope to accomplish in their careers. Use this information to create a personalized employee development plan based on their unique needs, outlining specific objectives, milestones, and timelines.
By customizing the plan to every interested employee, you can maximize the relevance and effectiveness of the development process while also helping ensure that your candidates are committed to learning and retaining their new skills.
Use your employee-specific plans as a foundation for company-wide professional development opportunities. If employees express interest in various skills training courses but face time constraints, consider investing in an online learning subscription. This allows employees to access courses from home, accommodating schedules that may be too busy for formal, in-person training.
There are other ways to meet your employees halfway in employee development opportunities. If a sizable number of employees show enthusiasm for a specific subject, organize a training seminar capable of involving a large number of attendees at once—or collaborate with your leadership network to identify a skilled presenter who can share insights during a convenient lunch-and-learn session. To accommodate diverse learning preferences, consider offering a professional development stipend to support employees in pursuing individual growth. The more accessible and available you make these upskilling opportunities, the more your workforce will take advantage of them.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and no workforce saw instantaneous improvement from a handful of development opportunities. As such, the impact of your employee development plan may not be immediately apparent—but it is still possible to track its progress, even in the initial stages.
Employee responses serve as the most significant indicator of progress. Since professional development fuels employee engagement, conduct regular engagement surveys to gauge team members' interest and satisfaction with the opportunities you are providing. Make sure that managers regularly check in on their direct reports' development progress. Identify the preferred and least-preferred learning opportunities, and then adjust individual development plans accordingly. Communicate any overarching insights to company leadership to refine the strategy across your organization.
What is the best way to teach a new skill? It all depends on the student. Employee development encompasses an array of strategies and initiatives designed to enhance the capabilities of your workforce; providing a range of opportunities helps ensure that no interested employees feel left out because of their preferred style of learning. Here are some of the most common examples of employee development, each offering their own distinct advantages:
Advanced degree programs generally include providing encouragement and some form of financial support for employees who wish to pursue advanced degrees (such as master's degrees or MBA programs). In addition to providing your workforce with skills they can bring with them wherever their future careers lead, these programs enhance your employees' knowledge and expertise, qualify them for higher-level positions, and demonstrate your commitment to their long-term growth.
Following the theme of personalized support, providing one-on-one career coaching and guidance is an effective way to help your employees identify and progress toward their own career goals. Through personalized support, individuals can create clear development plans, which can then lead to improved job satisfaction and a stronger bond between employees and their managers.
Offering a range of courses, workshops, and seminars on various relevant topics is a fundamental component of employee development. These opportunities enable employees to build specific skills, foster continuous learning, and stay updated with industry trends, ensuring they remain competitive and capable in their roles.
Not every opportunity has to be formal or official. Hosting relaxed knowledge-sharing sessions during lunch breaks can be a convenient way to promote learning within the organization and without upsetting anyone’s schedule. These sessions encourage peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and create a relaxed environment for employees to acquire new insights—all while minimizing disruptions to the workday.
Knowledge comes from experience, and there are few employment development opportunities that highlight the sharing of this experience as well as mentorships. Pairing less experienced employees with seasoned mentors is a powerful development method, facilitating the transfer of skills and knowledge, accelerating professional growth, and creating a sense of belonging within the organization.
When one-on-one guidance is not a possibility, special group training sessions may be just as effective. Often led by external experts or proven internal specialists, formal trainings can provide employees with deep insights into specific skills or knowledge areas. These trainings offer in-depth expertise, expose employees to diverse perspectives, and address specific development needs.
Hands-on training provides insights that are difficult to acquire through more academic training methods. Give your people the chance to gain a greater understanding of skills beyond their immediate responsibilities by implementing rotational programs. These programs involve moving employees through different roles or departments within the organization. This approach broadens their skill sets, exposes them to various facets of the business, and prepares them for leadership positions by providing a well-rounded understanding of the organization.
Similar to mentorships and rotational programs, shadowing allows employees to observe and learn from more experienced colleagues in action as they perform their essential tasks. This can be a highly effective learning experience, as shadowing opportunities provide on-the-job learning, promote skill acquisition, and facilitate the transfer of knowledge through personal experience.
When creating an employee development strategy, knowing what kinds of skills to focus on is just as important as knowing what opportunities to provide. This is why the first two steps in the employee development plan deal with evaluating your business and identifying the capabilities your workforce might be lacking. Although each business will almost certainly have different areas of strength and deficiency, the most common and essential areas for employee development include:
In many cases, the ability to succeed comes down to a willingness to coordinate, and (by extension) communicate. Effective communication is vital in the workplace, including both verbal and written communication, active listening, and the ability to convey ideas clearly and concisely. Strong communication skills foster collaboration, reduce misunderstandings, and enhance productivity.
Conflict is a natural part of any workplace, but the ability to resolve conflicts tactfully is crucial. Employees who can navigate conflicts with diplomacy and respect contribute to a harmonious work environment and help maintain positive relationships between colleagues.
Problem-solving, innovation, staying competitive—there are many crucial aspects of business that are built on a foundation of creativity. Employees who develop their creative thinking skills can generate fresh ideas, find innovative solutions, and adapt to changing circumstances more effectively.
It's been said that change is the only constant, and this is certainly true in business. When dynamic markets, shifting customer needs, or emergent situations cause disruption, having a flexible workforce can make a major difference. Flexible employees can adjust to new tasks, roles, or challenges with ease. They are resilient in the face of change and can contribute to a company's agility and growth.
Not every employee is destined for the C-suite, but leadership skills extend beyond formal leadership roles. These skills include the ability to inspire and motivate others, provide guidance and support, and take initiative. Developing leadership skills is a big part of personal growth and is particularly valuable for those who aspire to lead teams or projects.
There are only a finite number of hours in the workday, and getting the most out of that limited block of time takes skill. Strong organizational skills are essential for time management, task prioritization, and maintaining order in the workplace. Employees who excel in this area are more productive and less prone to stress.
High-paced, high-stakes work environments can get anyone's heart pumping, but it is important to retain a cool head and a rational mind in the face of stress. The ability to manage stress plays a critical role in overall well-being and productivity, and employees who develop stress management techniques are better capable of handling intense situations, maintaining focus, and reducing the risk of burnout.
A strong work ethic is something that every employer has on their wish list. Dedication, reliability, and a commitment to delivering quality results—employees with a solid work ethic consistently meet deadlines, take initiative, and contribute positively to the organization's culture. Work ethic is generally synonymous with engagement and productivity, making it an obvious candidate for employee development.
A primary goal of employee development is to future proof your business by establishing a workforce capable of evolving and advancing to meet changing demands. Of course, employees and organizations are not the only ones who need to adapt with the times; employee development itself is a dynamic concept, constantly shaped and reshaped by new trends. Some of the most prominent new movements in employee development include:
As we’ve addressed throughout this explanation, personalization is at the forefront of modern employee development. Tailoring learning experiences to individual needs and preferences allows employees to focus on areas that matter most to their roles and career aspirations. Personalized learning plans consider an employee's strengths, weaknesses, and interests, improving the effectiveness of the development process
Microlearning involves delivering content in small, bite-sized segments, often through digital platforms. This trend recognizes that busy employees benefit from short, focused bursts of learning that can be easily integrated into their daily routines. This makes it an efficient way to impart knowledge and skills without overwhelming anyone.
Soft skills—including communication and emotional intelligence—are gaining prominence in employee development. As organizations emphasize collaboration and a customer-centric approach, the importance of interpersonal skills cannot be denied. Training in soft skills equips employees to excel in both their current roles and future leadership positions.
The concept of continuous learning involves providing ongoing chances for employees to acquire new skills and knowledge as they progress through their careers. This approach recognizes that learning is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey, and helps prevent lost-opportunity situations where a single missed training may mean an end to an individual’s development journey.
Some employees learn better in person, others like remote-learning, and even more prefer the option to adjust their education to fit their schedules. Blended learning combines online and in-person training methods. This approach offers flexibility, allowing employees to access resources remotely while also benefiting from face-to-face interactions. Blended learning provides a well-rounded development experience that caters to diverse learning preferences.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are digitizing employee learning experiences. These technologies offer realistic simulations and immersive experiences that enable employees to practice real-life scenarios in safe environments. From safety drills to practicing complex technical skills, VR and AR are enhancing hands-on learning in unprecedented ways.
Markets change, businesses adapt, and customers' needs and expectations shift daily, but through it all the importance of an educated, highly skilled workforce will always remain constant. Employee growth and development benefits more than just the individuals themselves; it contributes immensely to a company's success. However, ensuring that employees receive effective development programs and support can be a complex undertaking, especially in the face of evolving work environments and digital complexities.
ServiceNow HR Service Delivery is designed to address this need. A comprehensive tool that provides the necessary framework to manage employee development programs effectively while simplifying access to vital information, HR Service Delivery streamlines vital HR processes to elevate the employee experience.
HR Service Delivery offers a range of features that can be harnessed to create and manage employee development programs within your organization. The Employee Center provides a unified portal for multi-department service delivery, enabling easy access to resources and information. Manager Hub empowers aspiring leaders with the tools and resources needed to support their teams effectively, especially in the context of a flexible work environment. Employee Journey Management automates workflows, making it easier to support employees through complex career-development journeys. And that is only the beginning.
Are you ready to turn employee development into a major competitive differentiator for your business? Discover the full potential of HR Service Delivery and workflow automation—contact ServiceNow today!
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