Investing in employee development is a critical part of your company’s growth. Without the employees growing alongside the business, it is nearly impossible to enjoy steady, sustainable, and efficient growth, especially in the long run. Employee development and the investments you make in human assets can help to boost their performance by a substantial margin.
There is no shortage of employee development strategies and programs. Based on the nature of your business and its requirements, one strategy may work better than others. Despite the unique nature of employee development, there are some great employee development ideas that are worth trying.
Training in Practical Skills
The most basic – but also one of the most effective – employee development strategies you can incorporate into your business right away is employee training. Training programs that enhance employees’ practical skills bring immediate benefits and allow them to perform better for the company.
There are two ways to approach training. The first one is by providing incentives for employees who continue to expand their skills through short courses and self-learning programs. Thanks to online resource centers that allow you to learn Excel, time management, and other important skills, providing incentives becomes the simpler of the two methods.
The second approach is by hosting the training in-house. This requires more planning and better preparation, but the impact is just as significant. It is also easier to monitor the effectiveness of in-house training programs in most cases. It is worth noting that in-house training is relatively more expensive than providing incentives.
Stretch Assignments
Stretching assignments is a tricky strategy to execute. You basically ask employees to work on an extra project or take on additional responsibilities. As the name suggests, this is an exercise for stretching your employees’ capabilities and discovering their true potential.
The challenge of stretch assignments lies in finding a balance between added tasks and existing workload. Employees may also misunderstand the extra duties as your way of capitalizing on them at a greater level.
Through good understanding and careful execution – and, of course, the cooperation of the employees – stretch assignments can be incredibly effective. Employees can really reach new heights in a measurable way, allowing them to qualify for a higher position while developing skills like time and resource management.
Apprenticeships
It is not uncommon for a department or a team to need additional help with their projects. This is a great setup for apprenticeships within the company. Departments or teams can issue internal job postings and other employees – those who are interested in trying new roles or learning about different functions within the company – can apply for the role.
Apprenticeships are great for the internal development of human resources. At the same time, the program helps the company operate at a higher efficiency level. it is a cross-training program that also presents you with opportunities to discover hidden talents within the company.
Which of these employee development ideas suit your business? They are great ideas that can be adapted to different situations. Give them a try and expand your employee development program. You’ll find the impact of developing your greatest assets to be significant.