Employee Development Examples (7 Areas of Progress)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the…
This blog will describe seven examples of what employee development looks like. Readers will first learn about why employee development is important. Then, we will talk about these examples in more detail.
What are Some Examples of Employee Development?
Below is a quick list of a few examples of employee development:
- Skill-Based Training & Continued Learning
- Improved Communication
- Research & Publications
- Leadership & Teamwork
- Conflict Management
- Soft Skills Training
- Stress Management & Problem Solving
Why is Employee Development Important?
Henry Ford once said “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” It’s true because employee development does wonders for any organisation.
Not only do enhanced skills improve their performance, but employees also feel valued when they’re invested in. As a result, they have greater work satisfaction. Employees are the true assets of any organisation, so helping them grow can only lead to overall progress.
7 Employee Development Examples
In this section, we’re going to take a closer look at seven examples of employee development. These are areas that can be worked on using methods like coaching, mentoring, workshops, etc.
Skill-Based Training & Continued Learning
The most obvious example of employee development is to upskill them in their domain of knowledge. For instance, in the field of IT, this kind of development will involve learning more programming languages and relevant skills.
Or for someone working in medicine, trainings can be of specialised procedures or certifications. Continued learning can also involve going back to school via night classes or distance learning.
Improved Communication
This example is relevant for all organisations, no matter what their field of work. Since organisations consist of multiple people working together, communication is key for optimal functioning. That’s why communication is a very popular choice for employee development.
Training sessions typically include learning about communication styles, common issues in communication, non-violent communication, and listening skills. Topics also cover both oral and written communication.
Research & Publications
Employee development can also be in the form of research and writing. It is a bit similar to the example of skill-based training because it involved domain knowledge. However, the difference lies in the process of exploring and experimentation.
Publications need not necessarily be research articles. They can also include manifestos, mission statements, books, and media submissions. The idea is to give employees an opportunity to add their own findings to the body of knowledge relevant to work.
Leadership & Teamwork
Another example of employee development is training them how to work with others. No matte rhow good someone is at their job, they can’t help an organisation much if they lack in interpersonal skills.
It makes sense to invest in teaching employees the fundamentals of teamwork and leadership so that they can develop such skills. This will include giving/taking instructions, feedback, and collaborating.
Conflict Management
Conflicts are bound to happen in any organisation and at any level. They are both expected and necessary for any company to work efficiently. That’s because conflicts offer an opportunity to expand horizons and synchronise to find solutions.
They may seem unpleasant to begin with, but when one learns conflict management, they realise that conflicts have both pros and cons. Therefore, it is essential to train employees on how to handle conflicts healthily and make the most out of them.
Soft Skills Training
Soft skills are defined as personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. Some of these skills are flexibility, assertiveness, confidence, negotiation, empathy, positivity, etc.
By training employees to develop these skills, it becomes easier for everyone to work together. Employees are able to take care of their needs and function amicably with each other.
Stress Management & Problem Solving
The final example on our list is developing skills that help in stress management and problem solving. All work environments are bound to bring challenges and problems that need to be dealt with. More often than not, that involves having to experience stressful situations.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense to spend resources on developing these skills in employees. These are better taught through methods like workshops and training sessions than others because they require experts in the field of psychology.
Conclusion
This blog described seven examples of what employee development looks like. Readers first learned about why employee development is important. Then, we talked about these examples in more detail.
The examples of employee development mentioned here were Skill-Based Training & Continued Learning, Improved Communication, Research & Publications, Leadership & Teamwork, Conflict Management, Soft Skills Training, and Stress Management & Problem Solving.
FAQs (Employee Development Examples)
What are employee development activities?
Employee development activities are meant to help individuals working in an organisation to build and enhance skills that improve their performance. These activities can also help them achieve greater satisfaction with work.
What are the 3 most important areas of development for you professionally?
When it comes to professional development, there are several areas where you can show progress. However, some of these are far more important because they not only benefit the company but you personally as well. Three such important areas of development are communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.
What are the methods of employee development?
Employee development can take place through any of the following methods:
- Training sessions
- Workshops
- Seminars
- Mentoring
- Coaching
- Task rotations
- Simulations
- Conferences
