Investing in Employee Growth 🌱

Hi there! 👋

This is Mariam Mushtaq from HR Brain Pickings. Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the New Year! 😊

Back to business 🤝 - now that we have covered strategies to build a business case for employee engagement - let’s get back to discussing the different engagement drivers.

These were the results from one of the polls, so we are going to explore how we can provide opportunities for personal growth in the workplace, ultimately driving engagement. 📈

Situational Assessment ✍️

Imagine you're looking to fill an open position and there's an existing employee eager to step up to a more advanced role within their team. You already know their strengths: solid work ethic, impressive talent, and a great fit with the company culture. However, they might not yet have all the skills or specific training needed for this new challenge.

The solution is straightforward: work with the employee to create a tailored growth and development plan. 📝 This approach is designed to equip them with the necessary skills and training for the role.

By doing this, you capitalize on their existing understanding of your company's operations and culture and also avoid the uncertainties and time-intensive process of onboarding a completely new hire, not forgetting all the additional recruitment costs. 💸

Additionally, this strategy not only leverages their existing knowledge of your company but also fosters a culture of growth and opportunity. 🌱

Culture of Learning

Creating a culture of learning isn't just a nice-to-have; it's an investment that really pays off for your business. It's about tapping into the potential of your current team and fueling growth. 🚀

Take it from IBM: their study shows a clear connection between training and performance. 📈 In high-flying companies, a whopping 84% of employees get the training they need, while in the not-so-great ones, it's a mere 16%. 📉

This learning culture thing? It's way more than just a cool benefit for your team. 🤓 It's a major player in driving your business forward. Think better engagement, higher productivity - something every company should be working towards. 💪

Sure, turning your workplace into a learning haven isn't something you can do overnight. But don't worry, there are some solid steps and strategies you can start with to nudge your organization in the right direction!

Strategies to Foster Employee Growth 🌱

Customize and Diversify Learning

Adapt training programs to suit individual learning styles, incorporating a mix of traditional and innovative methods like peer-to-peer sessions, book clubs, and mentorship programs. 📚

What you can do: You can run a survey to understand what different learning methods are preferred. Ensure these opportunities align with both organizational objectives and employees' personal development goals. 🎯

Make Learning a Constant

Encourage a culture where continuous learning is part of the job.

What you can do: Provide accessible, engaging training materials, with clear objectives and deadlines, and include soft skills development like problem-solving and emotional intelligence alongside technical training. You can also try setting aside a weekly time for everyone to have a learning session together. ⏰

Promote Social and Experiential Learning

Leverage the social aspect of learning.

What you can do: Implement group activities, online collaborations, and mentorship, mirroring interactive learning experiences from outside work. Encourage role rotation within the organization to provide fresh perspectives and a deeper understanding of the business.🔄

Evaluate and Adapt

Regularly assess employee progress and skills gaps through data analysis and feedback.

What you can do: Modify and improve training materials and methods based on employee preferences and engagement levels, ensuring they remain relevant and effective.📊

By focusing on internal growth and understanding the varied needs of your employees, you can give your employees a sense of purpose, retain top talent and establish your business as a preferred employer. 💼

Today’s Key Takeaways 🗒️

🗣️ HR Voices: Real Stories, Real Insights

Creating a safe space 💙

“This was pre covid era, year end promotion calibration meeting with all heads of functions. Basically it involved every functional head putting up their promotion recommendation list and the group would discuss/ moderate and then sign off (case by case).

We had 1 person who was the loudest, most aggressive (basically trying to bully his way through). Because of his aggressiveness, slowly the group became quieter, they asked fewer questions. I felt the purpose of the meeting will be lost if there was no healthy discussion, but picking out on an individual will not help the situation either.

I then paused the meeting for a couple of mins and told the group - This is a safe place and everyone's voices need to be heard and respected. Maybe the message landed, because after that the group dynamics changed and everyone returned to a healthy debating mode.”

🔎 Submitted anonymously by a reader

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