Should you encourage your workforce to develop their skills?

Employer advice

Encouraging employee development might seem like a waste of time. After all, you want them to be productive and doing their job. And whilst of course it is important to remain productive, employee development is equally as important.  A recent study suggests that 40% of people who receive poor training leave within the first year of their employment. Encouraging employee development can actually increase your staff retention, as well as staff productivity, giving your staff the right knowledge and tools to work more effectively.

If you’re looking for ways to upskill your workforce, here are some tips on how to set them up with a robust employee development plan.

Set goals

Setting goals from the start puts our employees on a clear path of progression with clear goals to achieve. It allows for more focus in areas of development. Sit down with your employees and work out what areas they want to develop their skills in and how they can do that.

Promote collaboration and mentoring

Knowledge is sharing. And sharing of knowledge at work can create a happier, close knit group sharing their newly developed skills. It also enables your employees to talk, get advice, tips and share ideas; building a strong community or productive workers.

Shout outs

Recognising the efforts and accomplishments of your team can go a long way in making your employees feel valued. It can also show that their recent training has tangible results in their day-to-day work. If an employee is doing well think about how this could be rewarded with growth within the company.

Schedule regular reviews

How are your employees coping with their development and their work? Are they still on course? What else can they do to achieve their goals (see first point)? Regular catch ups with your employees and reviews of their progress keeps them on the right path whilst also showing them you’re invested in their futures.

Encouraging skill development doesn’t have to be costly, and doesn’t mean employees are quicker to leave once they've gained vital skills either. It can mean upskilled, loyal staff who are more productive. It can also mean your staff is invested in their roles and their future careers. See how you can encourage employee development today.