Unless you work in a family business, you can’t afford to be complacent in your field. Professional development is crucial to the success of your company, and it’s also important for your employees’ own personal growth. If you don’t provide opportunities for professional development at work, your company could fall behind the competition. Here are some simple ways that you can encourage employees to pursue their professional goals:
See if they have professional goals
Ask your employees if they have any professional goals. If they do, ask them what kind of things they want to accomplish. This is a great way to get into the habit of checking in with them on where they want their careers to go and how you can help them get there.
For example, maybe an employee wants to take on more leadership roles within her department—now’s the perfect time for her manager to start giving her more opportunities for advancement! Or perhaps another employee wants to learn more about finance but hasn’t been given time off from work yet because of workload issues—now’s an excellent time for management and HR managers alike to make sure that person gets some extra training!
Help them create a plan
Once you’ve defined the employee’s goals and needs, it’s time to create a plan. Ask them what they think will help them achieve their goals and what resources they need in order to do so. This step is important because it helps you understand which professional development opportunities should be prioritized first—and it provides insight into whether or not your team member is invested in their own professional growth.
Offer to be their mentor
Mentoring is a great way to help someone learn. Whether it’s how to use your company’s software, how to write an effective email or even how to ask for a raise, mentors can be invaluable. In this case, you can also use the prepared RTO training resources.
Mentoring is especially helpful when it comes to career development. If you’re a manager, mentoring an employee will show that you’re invested in their growth and development as individuals and professionals. You’ll also be setting yourself up as someone they might turn to when they need advice later on in their careers—or even just want some feedback on something that happened at work or home! Mentoring is also beneficial for both parties because it will help each person grow professionally over time by providing them with opportunities for personal growth, whether that means learning new skills or developing leadership qualities through increased visibility within the organization (allowing them more responsibility).
Support continuing education
Continuing education is the key part of development. It allows employees to grow their skills, improve their expertise and knowledge, and get ahead in the workplace.
Continuing education is not just for young people—it’s also a great way for older workers to learn new skills and stay up-to-date with industry trends. In fact, many companies offer tuition reimbursement programs that encourage employees to pursue further study outside of work hours. This kind of investment in your employee’s professional development shows them how much you value them as an employee, which can help increase engagement and productivity at work!
Track their progress toward their goals
As your employees work toward their goals, you will want to keep track of their progress. One way to do this is by asking for regular updates on their progress and then sharing that information with the team. You can also provide space for employees to track their own goals, or even directly link your employee performance management software with popular project management tools like Trello and Basecamp so they are able to see what everyone else on the team is working on as well as provide feedback on how things are going.
But just tracking progress isn’t enough—you also need to make sure that people know what they need to do in order to reach their goal. This means providing clear expectations, offering guidance when necessary, giving feedback when needed and encouraging them along the way! When all else fails though (and let’s face it—it will fail), don’t forget about access: give them access not only resources but experts within your organization who can help guide them through any challenges that arise during professional development efforts within a workplace environment.
By helping your employees develop professionally, you’re building a better workforce for the future.
Employees who develop professionally are more likely to stay with the company. They’re happier and more productive, thus contributing to higher profits while building a loyal base of customers. When an employee feels valued and supported by their employer, they’ll be more inclined to stick around—especially if there’s room for advancement within the company’s ranks.
