Employee development is the practice of learning new skills and honing existing ones. With help from their employer, employees can take time to learn how to use new technologies and techniques, develop their knowledge of an industry or subject matter, and grow their competencies across different areas. Employee development is important because employers want highly skilled employees, and employees want to succeed in their roles.
Done right, this ongoing education is mutually beneficial for both employer and employee. For example, it might not make sense for a business to pay for a marketer to learn accounting skills if the organization doesn’t presently need these skills on its team, but, if that marketer takes a class on digital marketing and is able to grow your online presence and secure new business for your company, that will be advantageous for both parties. Your employees can immediately flex their new skills and see the value of their work firsthand, while your business can reap the rewards of their efforts and fill skill gaps.
A great way to find this overlap is to create a career development plan that identifies the skills an individual in this role needs today, as well as the competencies they’ll need to move to the next level in their career path. Investing in skills that will help your employees and your business thrive in the future is a smart move.
There are many different ways to approach employee development. Popular options include ongoing training programs, on-the-job training, mentorships, stretch assignments, conferences, and classes – just to name a few. At Culture Amp, we think of career development in terms of the "3 E's":
- Experience: On-the-job experiences that help employees grow (e.g., stretch tasks, special products, mentoring others, etc.)
- Exposure: Learning through observation (e.g., working with a coach, seeking feedback, shadowing, networking, etc.)
- Education: Structured learning (e.g., courses, books, conferences)