Leading employers know how important it is to place employees’ professional development at the heart of company policy. Why? Their workers expect it. Talented professionals want to work for a company that will help them to build skills and knowledge and further their careers. Show Managers shouldn’t minimize the importance of supporting their employees’ career advancement. If they do, they risk undermining morale and productivity by leaving talented workers feeling like they aren’t valued. And in the longer term, the company could face the loss of these dispirited employees to competitors. So, with a new year upon us, show your workers that they have both company and manager support in their desire to grow professionally by applying the following strategies to promote the development of employees: 1. Take a personal interest in employee career goalsIf you’re managing a remote team, you know how important it is to communicate frequently with your workers. That interaction should include meeting regularly with team members one-on-one so you can stay attuned to their career aspirations and expectations. This kind of manager support can help your staff feel valued — and lead to greater productivity and loyalty. Help your employees outline a potential career path within the organization, so they can better visualize their future at the company. Identify specific milestones for achievement and the supporting resources employees will likely need to tap along their journey. Clear, direct and consistent communication from the boss about career advancement steps can help workers feel more engaged. 2. Promote training and development of employeesJob training and continuing education help to fuel employee career growth. So, you’ll want to encourage team members to pursue relevant business courses and workshops that will further their career advancement. Virtual learning opportunities are a must for many teams right now, and fortunately, there are many affordable options available. (Even if budgets are leaner at the moment, keep in mind that an investment in employee career development can deliver a strong ROI for your business.) In addition to nurturing individual needs and growing specific skills, help your employees keep up with what’s happening in the wider industry. One cost-effective method that’s easy to arrange is to host lunch-and-learn sessions by video, featuring either external or internal guest speakers. Also, give your employees the time and flexibility to engage in industry events. Consider asking those workers to share what they learn at these events with their colleagues. 3. Encourage mentoring and job shadowingEstablishing a formal mentoring program might be one of the smartest moves a company can make at any time — for itself as well as for its workers’ personal and professional growth. Mentoring can also be an effective tool for onboarding remote staff. Though often seen as a transfer of knowledge from tenured team members to less-seasoned employees, mentoring in the workplace is a two-way street. While senior staff members can offer hard-earned insights and professional guidance to less-experienced colleagues, they also can benefit from the fresh perspectives and technological know-how of up-and-coming employees. 4. Rotate employee rolesThe human brain thrives on variety, and job rotation is a smart way to shake up your workers’ daily routine. Consider allowing employees to work in different but related departments or positions. (A job rotation program can help to facilitate this.) These opportunities will help your team members gain new skills, more appreciation for their colleagues’ duties and a better understanding of the business. Job rotation can also be an effective way to increase cross-departmental collaboration and build rapport in a remote team. And the organization will benefit from having a more well-rounded workforce. 5. Support work-life balanceHard work is a prerequisite for career advancement, but that doesn’t necessarily mean committing to an endless series of lengthy workdays. Encourage your employees to work smart, maximize their efficiency, and leave time and energy for their interests outside of work. This advice is especially important for remote team members who may find it difficult at times to keep work and life separate. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many professionals to rethink their priorities. Research by our company found that 40% of workers see themselves emphasizing their personal life over their job moving forward. That suggests employers will be under even more pressure in the future to help their employees achieve a desirable work-life balance. Taking a proactive approach to your team’s well-being can also prevent stress from rising and leading to burnout. By adopting flexible policies that enhance work-life balance, you can buoy employee morale. You’ll help your workers find the time to do their jobs, attend to personal demands, and even engage in professional development activities that can aid their career advancement. 6. Paint the big pictureReminding employees of their unique contributions to the company’s mission adds meaning to their role. It can also increase their motivation to expand their responsibilities and advance in the organization. Don’t assume they already know how their work adds value, however. Offer regular insights into how their day-to-day actions make a difference to the organization. In your regular updates to team members, be sure to highlight the firm’s progress toward key objectives. And acknowledge individual employees for specific achievements that are helping to drive the company toward those goals. 7. Create a succession planning programSuccession planning can demonstrate to high-potential employees that you not only want to invest in their professional development but also see them evolving into future leaders for the business. That is a powerful message. So, don’t push this important process to the back burner. Create a succession plan for every key position in your organization. It can help motivate employees to learn the skills and knowledge needed for career advancement. Your employees will be better positioned to achieve their career goals if they know they have manager support. And even if your team is working remotely right now, it’s still possible to make professional development of employees and career advancement high priorities for the business. Emphasizing employee career growth can create significant and lasting benefits for your workers. It can also help position your company to be even more competitive.
To advance your career, you need to have a plan. Career advancement comes in many forms, from climbing the corporate ladder to taking on more responsibility in your current role. Regardless of what you’re striving to achieve, it’s not possible unless you have a plan to guide you along the way. Creating a career roadmap will provide you with this plan and a foundation to help you advance your career. Define what success looks like for you. Everyone has their own personal definition of success. For some people it might be reaching the C-Suite and getting a coveted executive role, and for others it could be finding a career that allows them to spend more time with their family. There’s no right or wrong way to define success - it looks different for everyone. What matters is that you're able to define it for yourself. Think about what’s most important to you in your career now, and what you want your career to look like in the future. What you’re striving for now may look different than what you want in five or ten years. Thinking long term will help you define your version of success. Once you've defined success, it's time to turn it into an action. Create a chart with where you are right now in your career and where you want to be in one, five, and ten years. Fill in each of the first five years with the position and title you want to have for that given year. Keep this document handy - it's the beginning of your career roadmap. Establish goals and a timeline. Goals and a timeline go hand in hand. Without a timeline, it’s much harder to achieve your goals. Without goals, a timeline is simply a schedule. Using them together is how you achieve success. The goals you set give you something to strive for, and the timeline keeps you accountable and on track to achieve them. Refer to your career roadmap and take a look at your plans for years one through five. These are your biggest long-term goals. To accomplish these big goals, you’ll need to break them down into smaller, more manageable short-term goals. Consider the steps you need to take to reach the next level in your career. What skills will you need to learn? Who in your network can help you develop? Will you be able to reach the your goal at your current company? Really take the time to analyze and think critically about your this. There's no limit to how many short-term goals you can create, but a general rule of thumb is more is better than less. Once you’ve identified both your long and short-term goals, it’s time to add them to your career roadmap. The more detailed your plan is, the easier it will be to stay on track to meet all of your goals. Seek out feedback. Feedback is a way to measure your progress and make sure you’re on the right path to achieving your goals. If you only have formal reviews twice per year, schedule a check in meeting with your manager in between reviews. Don't limit feedback to just coming from your superiors. It should also come from your peers, as they offer a different perspective and point of view. Ask your peers to assess your strengths and weaknesses or provide specific feedback from a time you worked together. If you’re in a management role, ask your employees for critiques as well. The more diverse your sources of feedback are, the more you’ll learn from them. Be open with your manager. There are usually many more opportunities for advancement than you realize. Talk to your manager and see what career possibilities exist within the company. Share your goals with them and see how they can help you achieve them. By talking to your manager and letting them know your aspirations, you’re putting yourself on their radar. If they’re supportive, they’ll offer you help and advice to help you reach your goals. Use your network. The only way to advance your career, no matter what your goal is, is to have help and support from others. Tap into your network for every stage of the process. When you’re thinking about your definition of success, talk to your mentor or a trusted advisor. When you’re creating your long-term goals, talk to your manager to see what the possibilities for advancement are. Once you’ve identified what you want to do next, seek out people that are currently in that role and ask them about it. The more information you can get, the clearer your action plan becomes. All together, these actions help you create your career roadmap, which in turn becomes your action plan and guide to career advancement. Remember that it’s not set in stone, and you can update it with new goals at any time. A career path is not a straight line from point A to point B, so don’t feel that you have to follow a rigid set path to get there. |