Employees are the most important asset for any organisation. We all know that very well. What is therefore also extremely important, is employee development. Why do you think multinational organisations invest so much in employee training programs. Because they know that only when employee development happens, organisational development happens!
There are various ways of boosting employee development and encouraging a learning environment in an organisation. We are going to discuss a few of these today.
Soft skills trainings
Employee development trainings are conducted regularly in organisations. And soft skills trainings are now forming an importance part of these employee training programs. Organisations now realise that while hard skills upgrade a person technically, it’s the soft skills that upgrade them holistically and prepare them for larger roles.
Exposure to external trainings
Most of the times, companies have internal trainers and training departments who take the entire responsibility of employee development. But at times, getting external trainers or sending employees for trainings and courses outside the organisation gives them better exposure and a very different perspective too.
Personal Development
An organisation’s perspective of employee development should not only be about developing them for their role. It should also be about developing them personally. That’s what adds the personal touch and makes employees feels that their organisation truly cares for them.
Enhance managers
Another particularly important area is to develop the managers and take their managerial skills to next level. By next level, I mean, make them capable coaches and mentors. Employees look forward to their managers for support and guidance. And their managers must be made capable of providing it.
Interdepartmental collaboration
Very often, employees spend their entire lives in their own department not knowing much about how other functions operate. They may know a few basics based on the amount of interdependency they have on another department. Giving them the opportunity to see how various functions operate, gives them an understanding of how the various sub-systems of an organisation work together towards fulfilling the organisational machinery’s goals. It therefore gives them a bird’s eye view of things and makes them capable of seeing their organisation from a broader perspective. Not to forget the improvement in inter-departmental relations and the personal development that creates!