HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH THEIR CAREER GROWTH
So, you’re wanting your employees to progress, step into higher roles and become a bigger influence in the company. But you’re getting increasingly worried or even frustrated at their lack of development. The first step is to acknowledge that the responsibility for career growth doesn't fall squarely on the employee's shoulders.
But shouldn’t you just leave them to it? Surely they should just take the initiative and know what they need to do to succeed?
If you take this view, you will have stagnant, disengaged staff who may even lose hope as to whether progression is possible. Yes, employees should take initiative, and yes they should be ambitious, but your job is to steer them towards your goals and visions for the company. Leaving them to it will only create confusion and a lack of trust.
Career growth is a partnership where you, the manager, play a pivotal role.
Define Clear Career Paths
A Gallup study found only around 50% of all workers know what is expected of them at work. So when you’re getting frustrated at your employees for not working towards their criteria, think as to whether you set them in the first place.
Without well-defined career progression plans, employees will feel adrift and quite frankly unsure of their future with the company. They could be incredibly ambitious but without a clearly defined path, how do they know where to strive towards?
Every single employee in every single position should have a career path, and this is something you should work to create and communicate very clearly.
For most roles, there are specific, non-negotiable things that need to be achieved, but it’s also crucial to engage team members in discussions about their career aspirations. Take the time to understand their goals, both short-term and long-term.
What roles do they see themselves in down the line? What skills do they want to work on? By working together to outline individual career roadmaps, you give employees not just a tangible but a personal vision to strive for.
Develop a Performance Management Strategy
Effective performance management is fundamental to employee growth and they’re divided into 4 components:
Instead of relying on quarterly or yearly performance reviews, implement an ongoing system that really focuses on practical and timely development. Regular check-ins allow for personable and productive conversations for discussing progress, training, and acknowledging achievements. It also allows for constructive criticism, which when delivered thoughtfully, offers great insight that can make a real difference in an employee’s work.
Offer plenty of Learning Opportunities
Learning never stops and both you and your employees should know this. Provide them with regular and engaging learning opportunities.
This doesn’t always have to mean in-depth workshops or industry conferences, it can mean study support, 30-minute training sessions, or even recommending free courses and podcasts online. You can assist by helping them identify relevant resources and facilitate the acquisition of new skills or knowledge.
Not only does this give them a range of ways to improve, but it also encourages employees to take ownership of their learning journey.
Create a Learning Culture
As a manager, you should never want progression to start and end with you. Instead, you should want a culture where teamwork, collaboration, and innovation are the standard…
But this only starts by being the change you want to see. Set the tone by being approachable and present and people will start to follow.
Some ways you can inspire employees to support one another is by:
Encouraging EMPLOYEES to share knowledge
This could be through casual conversations, or lunch and learn sessions where employees share their tips and strategies with the rest of the team.
Training senior team members
You want your senior members to be setting an example to the rest of the team, so it may be of benefit to conduct leadership training as they support others. This could also equip them should they wish to manage in the future
Eradicate unhealthy competition
Don’t stand for a dog-eat-dog culture but instead encourage team members to celebrate each other’s wins.
- Written by Oliver Howson
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