Employee Growth Plans – Why They Are More Important Than Ever

In today’s world, it is extremely important that organizations value growth among their members. If companies want to continue to grow in all aspects of business it is very beneficial for them to provide various growth opportunities to their employees. Expanding the knowledge of employees helps them grow in their current role as well as gain skills to progress into other positions within the organization. It is nearly impossible to grow your company without starting with your employees.

Employee Personal Career Growth

While employee growth is crucial in business success, you are also giving your employees opportunity for personal growth. You want your employees to be excited about their growth and the work they are doing at the organization. Employees are more willing to invest in your company if they know they are investing in their own future in doing so. Employee growth and development plans can also help employees attain their own personal career goals.

Create an Employee Growth Plan

According to Edgepoint Learning, there are 7 steps to creating a strong employee growth plan.

1. Skills Gap Analysis

   Performing an employee skills gap analysis can help you target the areas of training that need to be targeted the most. It can also help you “identify what you’re already doing well (and what needs work).” This will allow the time spent on employee development to be maximized to be most effective for the employee and the organization.

2. Identify employees for career and leadership growth

   Point focus on the individuals in the organization who have their own personal goals for their career and where they want to see the company grow. Play into that energy. It will show them that you care about their visions and will encourage them to bring you along and teach others.

3. Align with employee and company goals

   Employee goals should connect with company goals. The same goes vice versa. The two work hand in hand and should correspond as so.

4. Help them grow with you

   You can’t inspire others to grow if you are not looking for personal growth yourself. Employee growth plans also include self reflection on the management end of the business.

   

1. Use employee development plan templates to help

   There are many different types of templates that can be used to help aid you in creating a employee growth plan that will fit your organization best. Here are the two most common:

   1. Individual employee development plan template
   2. Succession planning template

2. Fit the learning opportunity to the training

   Make sure that your plan aligns with your goals for the organization and the department at hand.

3. Track results and use data to inform your decisions

   Reflect, reflect, reflect. What went well with your growth plan? Did the employees seem interested and excited with the information they were provided with? If yes, expand on it. If no, what can you change about it? Ask for feedback from those involved.