Offering an opportunity to be a professional while

It’s human nature to grow. We’ve been doing it since we were little. First it was growing up, now (for some of us) it’s growing out . . . either way, our bodies — and our minds — naturally want to become bigger than they are. While our physical growth slows over time, though, our desire for development never goes away. The human desire for growth is perhaps manifested most in the realm of career.Considering So how can your companykeep itsemployees happy enough to stick around? Cater to thathuman desire we all share. Offer your employees opportunities for growth at work, and watch your How Growth Opportunities ImproveEmployee Engagement andRetention How can your business use growth opportunities at work to whittle that percentagedown — perhaps even to zero? It seems obvious that employees will be more engaged at work if they know they can grow rather than feel like they’re constantly hitting their heads on the ceiling. But the stats on the subject might surprise you. In a lack of growth opportunity as the second highest reason for leaving. That means that if you have high retention, it’s probably because you encourage career development opportunities — andif you havehigh turnover, it’s probably because you aren’t encouraging enough of them. This Most employees don’t feel that they are given enough space for growth. Research by DecisionWise found that But don’t think that career development is one-sided. In theQuantum Workplace study, Clearly, there’s room for improvement he...

What do you look for when searching for a job? Salary? Flexible working arrangements? Company culture? While these things are definitely important, if you’re looking to really set up your career and not just grind away at any old job, set your sights on a company that invests in its employees by offering career development programs. Whether you’re a recent graduate or you’ve been in the workforce for a while, taking a role with a company willing to groom you for greatness can pay dividends for your future. What is career development and why is it important? Career development is the process of aligning your personal learning and development with career advancement opportunities. Career development is important because work plays a vital role in our lives, so your work should align with your values and uplift and fulfill you. Both you and your employer play a role in career development. While it’s ultimately your responsibility to take charge of your professional life, many employers offer opportunities to employees because when they learn and enhance their skills, everyone benefits. Learning new skills can help you succeed in your current role, it can help you prepare for promotions, or it can let you test and trial pivots into new career pathways. And there are benefits for companies as well. Companies with the best training programs: • Improve employee retention • Improve company culture • Improve employee engagement What is a career development program? There are differ...

Summary. Much has been written about the benefits of collaboration — but what can you do if you’re not sure how to convince a potential partner to work with you? In this piece, the author describes six types of “collaboration capital” that you can bring to the table to get your would-be collaborator on board: Sweat equity, subject matter knowledge, process knowledge, connections, access to funding, and image. Understanding (and clearly communicating) your own collaboration capital is key to winning over a colleague and launching a successful collaboration. Collaboration with the right partner can be the key to unlocking results that neither of you could attain on your own. But it can be challenging to convince someone to collaborate with you, especially if you don’t know them well, if there’s a (real or perceived) power differential in your relationship, or if you’re nervous about If they’re a friend or someone who owes you a favor, you might be able to leverage your existing relationship to cajole them into helping you out. Of course, that doesn’t mean pressuring them with a mafia-style “offer they can’t refuse” — but the personal connection and social norms around reciprocity mean that as long as you ask for their help clearly and directly, they are likely to be fairly open to working with you. But if you don’t already have a strong, pre-existing relationship, you’ll have to rely on a rational demonstration that a partnership would be mutually beneficial. That means care...

Propose Regular One-on-one Meetings Involve Employees in Goal Setting Foster Upward Mobility Establish a Regular Training Schedule Source Training Topics from Employees Support Knowledge Sharing Consider a Peer Mentoring Program Implement Cross-departmental Training Provide Employee Development Resources Offer Tuition Reimbursement Advocate for External Training Recognize Training Accomplishments Be a Role Model via Active Participation Propose Regular One-on-one Meetings To help foster a Involve Employees in Goal Setting Rather than having management set development goals for employees, take a collaborative approach to goal setting. Managers can share overall departmental goals, then guide employees to reflect on their own work. Are they being challenged? Are they ready to take on a new or different kind of project? In what areas do they think they need to improve? And how can you help them do so? Try using our Prioritize Skill Development Taking the time to provide Foster Upward Mobility Employees want to work for organizations where they feel they have opportunities to advance and grow. By offering development opportunities and promoting from within whenever possible, you can position your company as one where upward mobility is possible. Try offering learning and development tracks that allow employees to deepen their skills for the roles they’re in, as well as tracks to cross-train for lateral opportunities or develop skills that would be needed to advance. Fast-track...

Summary. People’s lives and priorities are changing in dramatic ways before our very eyes. While increasing compensation, promoting from within, offering flexible schedules, and making remote work easier are always good talent strategies, there’s one lever leaders can pull that’s highly accessible, doesn’t have to be expensive, and gives employees something they really want: on-the-job professional development. The author offers three ways for leaders to prioritize learning and development in their organizations. First, incorporate learning into onboarding and give employees time for it regularly. Second, make learning a ritual. Finally, offer coaching to all your employees — not just executives. With Americans I’ve found that on-the-job professional development is a nearly perfect solution to many of the problems facing companies today. Why? First, your people want it. The Second, it’s good for business. A Organizations with a strong learning culture are 92% more likely to develop novel products and processes, 52% more productive, 56% more likely to be the first to market with their products and services, and 17% more profitable than their peers. Their engagement and retention rates are also 30–50% higher. Evidently, prioritizing learning and development is crucial to the bottom line. And it doesn’t even have to cost much. But you do have to make professional development personal. In other words, make it real and truly connected to your employees. Here are three ways to p...

“What are your career aspirations?” is a question that comes up in almost every interview. At first glance, it might seem easy to answer. You just have to tell them about your future dreams and Well, yes and no. Interviewers use this question to get specific information about your potential at their company and whether Your answer will help them determine whether you’re a good fit and have a future in their organization. To help you prepare an answer to this question, let’s take a look at what career aspirations are, how they are different than Your career aspirations are Put simply, a career aspiration is a long-term dream that you are pursuing. A career aspiration can even be accompanied by a You may not have a concrete plan for achieving your occupational aspirations. Even so, you keep them in mind when making decisions that affect your future. Career aspirations are not the same as career goals. A goal is usually a more specific, short-term objective with a detailed plan for achieving it. The difference between the two is subtle but important. A While a goal focuses on achieving a specific, tangible outcome, an aspiration is more general. Aspirations also leave room for different outcomes and results. For example, a career aspiration for an executive could be to leave your mark on a company. A career goal for the same person could be to Jon Stewart, a comedian, filmmaker, political commentator, actor, and television host, shares one of his career aspirations: I want to...

Summary. Contrary to popular belief, pitching yourself directly to employers can give you an advantage over other applicants. Here’s how to do it: • Step 1: Get your timing right. Plan to pitch yourself to the employers you want to work for as early as possible in your job search. By the time a role is posted online, it’s already been publicized internally. • Step 2: Identify key players at the company, or employees who have decision-making power at the company and who can influence hiring decisions. Your goal is to get an information interview with them, as they can connect you to hiring managers (and their recommendations will not be ignored). • Step 3: Nail your informational interview. Askquestions about their experience at the company and how the job you are targeting fits into it all.As the conversation wraps up, ask if they will introduce you to a hiring manager • Step 4: Connect with the hiring manager. Send an email introducing yourself, expressing interest in their company, explaining the value you can bring to their team, and requesting a meeting. • Step 5: Follow up … but don’t overdo it. Wait at least a week before reaching out again, and when you do, keep it short. • Step 6: Sell yourself. Assuming you do land a meeting with the hiring manager, use this timediscuss your skills and experience and how you could provide value to the company. • Step 7:Don’t be put off by a “no.” Rejection is unavoidable, but don’t mistake it for failure. Sometimes, “no” really me...