Employee Professional Development: How Support Retains Staff

Many employees worldwide have been voluntarily resigning despite many others losing their jobs due to the pandemic over the last 2 years. Known as The Great Resignation, employees are mass-leaving for various reasons such as:

• Burnout
• Inadequate pay
• Toxic work environments

Even if your company has survived this wave so far, avoid taking it for granted, and always remember that you’ll need to do your part to keep your staff around for the long haul.

As an employer, it’s vital for you to continually support your employees’ professional development and make it part of your strategy for employee retention.

What are some examples of employee professional development activities?

Here are some great examples of employee professional development opportunities your staff will enjoy:

1. Professional certifications
2. Leadership training
3. Teamwork training
4. Employer-subsidised degrees
5. Skill-based training

With that said, here are some ways your support can help to retain them:

They won’t see your company as just a stepping stone

It is common for employees to switch jobs frequently to gain a good amount of experience in a short amount of time, and to enjoy better pay jumps. While some companies might not mind large staff turnovers, know that it is not sustainable in the long run. You will not want someone new coming in every month and picking up work that a previous employee has left halfway. On the other hand, if you are an employer who supports your employees’ professional development through training, team exercises, and healthy feedback sessions, they would be more inclined to stay and grow in your company than move to another that might not offer the same perks.

Related Read: Good Employee Engagement Practices »

You’ll enjoy better work quality

Improved work quality might be a no-brainer, but it’s an issue that is often overlooked. Businesses want employees who can work efficiently and ensure the company’s smooth operations. Quantity of output aside, the quality of work is what pays off in the long run. You don’t want your employees to just complete tasks to get a paycheck. Your employees need to find purpose in their jobs to deliver the best work possible.

This can only happen if your company provides them with other perks instead of just their salaries. Remember, happy employees lead to greater productivity.

Your company will be more than just a company to them

Make an effort to help your employees look forward to coming to work each day. Instead of it being a place for them to slog 8-9 hours daily, it should be a place of learning and self-improvement. The saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ also applies to a work setting. So, what can you do to support your employees’ professional development? Arrange for short-term courses that can be taken within the company or have frequent brainstorming sessions within the team. If time is an issue, you can even provide an education allowance for them to take courses during their free time. Besides that, have an open-door policy that allows your employees to give feedback and have discussions with you on what can be improved. You can make it simpler for them to transition to more senior roles as they gain more experience, and you can then reward them with a pay raise accordingly. Being stuck in one position for a long time can be demotivating, but you can help prevent that as an employer.

They’ll be happy to make referrals

Any company’s primary goal would be to see growth – in every sense. In the long run, you’ll to want to have a larger company with more staff helping you. Now, if you have a healthy work environment where your employees are happy, they will want to stay and may even help bring in more employees for you. Job applicants also tend to look at sites like Glassdoor and Indeed for company reviews before applying. You want your staff testimonials to be positive, or potential employees may avoid your company.

Seeing your employees as members of your team instead of just people you pay each month is key to running a smooth-sailing and sturdy ship, which will ultimately benefit you as an employer.

Show your staff that they are important to you

Ultimately, you want your employees to know that you value them by giving them plenty of opportunities for growth and development. In turn, their development can also help your company grow. Share with us some of the employee professional development ideas you have for your business if you have some already in place!

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