We are not living through normal times. The world is topsy-turvey and employers are struggling to stay afloat in this unstable economy. Employees are feeling the pressure as well to help businesses save money while progressing forward in their personal business goals. More and more business leaders are searching for ways to help their employees and team members to grow professionally. Here are just a few ideas on how you can help them accomplish this.
Implement Training Programs
More and more businesses are finding that they need their valued employees to be able to work across departments, especially as furloughs and layoffs continue this year. In order to be sure that your employees understand the job parameters in each department, you may want to implement a training strategy that allows for you to be able to count on cross-department training and, as an added benefit, skill improvement for your employees.
Encourage Mentoring and Coaching
If your company does not currently have a formalized mentoring or coaching program where more experienced employees guide and teach newer employees, you may want to consider introducing a less formalized program during this time period.
Give an incentive for more experienced and skilled employees to work alongside a less experienced employee. The knowledge that they can impart wisdom of their years at the job can be great and the bond can add to retention rates.
Give Real Time Positive Feedback
While every employee anxiously awaits the annual review, it should most definitely not be the only time that a business leader or owner gives feedback either positive or negative in nature. If you are that business leader, be sure to check in with your employees and give them regular feedback. This is incredibly important especially now when many people are working from home.
Check-ins can help correct mistakes and get projects back on track quickly. Quick feedback can also improve morale and let team members know that they have support.
Give Awards
According to GlassDoor, “If you want to support employee growth and professional development, you must first keep them happy and motivated. That starts by creating a company culture that rewards and recognizes exceptional work.”
Awards could be as simple as a “shoutout” during a staff meeting or more elaborately as a month-end bonus for a job well done. Some employers save bonuses for the end of the year while others make awards available at regular meetings and in very informal settings.
For more resources on supporting professional growth and development, check out our resources pages at North Shore Career Center and MassHire North Shore.
