Employee Development

Employee development is the process by which employees, supported by their employers, go through specialized training to enhance their abilities and increase their knowledge in a particular area. The training may be related to new job specifications, learning a new trade or learning how to enhance the quality of production. Most of this training is usually done outside of the workplace since it requires specialized access to information and equipment. It is usually a one-time event though there have been some instances where continuing education through refresher courses has been allowed. Companies have different ways of implementing this. Some of them are as follows:

- Coaching. This type of employee development involves coaching current employees. These employees could have recently graduated or they could still be in the training program. In this type of coaching, the coach would focus on improving the employees' skills, especially those that are related to their work.

- Professional Development. Similar to the coaching idea, professional development is also part of employee training. It focuses on improving the employees' marketable skills. By doing so, employers will gain access to more highly skilled employees. However, unlike coaching, employers need to provide their employees with certain resources such as information, equipment and other assistance in order for them to develop the skills.

- Retention. There are several studies which show that participation in an employee development or training program will lead to an increased retention or recall. This means that employees who have undergone such programs are more likely to be retained when offered a job than those who have not. Aside from this, participation in the program can help increase employee retention because the company can save on training costs. Training programs cost more money than simply providing formal education to existing employees.

- Employer development plans. An employer development plan focuses on promoting a particular set of skills or increasing a particular skill of an employee. This plan may be designed to give employees opportunities to grow and learn new skills. When employers have such plans in place, they can expect improved sales and growth.

- Top talent. One of the reasons why employers should develop a high-impact training program for their employees is because it helps identify the most talented people in their company. As such, the most desirable employees are retained. By doing so, companies will gain access to the best workers.

- Workplace development. Many companies invest in workforce training programmes. These programmes are meant to improve the employees' efficiency in the workplace. The improvement of the workforce's efficiency can lead to a decrease in lost production hours and it can also improve the company's bottom line. In addition, employers will no longer be required to hire and train new employees but can instead tap into the already highly qualified and talented employees.

- Talent acquisition and development. It is also important for employers to consider talent acquisition and development. This is so they can improve the rate at which their employees are achieving success in their jobs. Employers should take note of any impediments that they may encounter in attracting and retaining the best employees.

- Professional development opportunities. Developing a strategy that can help them attract and retain the best employees is only the first step. To make sure that they get the most out of their workforce, employers should look for opportunities to provide professional development for their employees. These opportunities could include retreats, seminars or workshops. Some companies even provide their employees with opportunities to go on exchange visits with other companies.

- Career development. Employers should also look for ways to encourage the retention of their most talented employees. One way is to create a career path for them where they can take advantage of their potential and increase their earning power. By developing a proper career development plan, this will also help them in developing a high-level employee with the necessary skills and knowledge for a particular role.

- Recognition and rewards. Employees may not be conscious of these opportunities and have no idea how to use them to their advantage. However, rewarding and recognizing their efforts is often an effective way of encouraging them to continue their professional development efforts. This can be done by providing them with special benefits such as a higher rate of pay or more free time.