Professional development is the process of improving and increasing capabilities of staff through access to education and training opportunities in the workplace. Professional development plays a key role in the workplace.
Many companies use various methods to promote professional development among their employees. Employees who engage in developing their professional skills provide more value and greater depth of knowledge to the company. There may be some strategies required in order to promote professional development in the workplace.
Let’s have a look at how companies can promote professional development in the workplace.
Mentoring
Providing mentoring programs to the employees is one of the best ways to promote professional development in the workplace. Every company has its internal training sessions going every once or twice a week or at least once a month.
Through mentoring program, mentors can encourage the participants to develop their skills by joining various internal sessions and by learning more about other departments within the organization. Besides that, managers acting as a mentor can also organize small development sessions within the workplace and hold follow up discussions with the participant employees.
Coaching and Development
During your staff meeting about performance planning, create a customized development plan with your staff in order to promote professional development. You can ask each of your staff members to identify at least one area they would like to work on.
Here, staff members and supervisors can work together to identify suitable opportunities and develop a timeline for its completion. You can also schedule regular coaching sessions to discuss progress and feedbacks from your staff members.
Recognition
It's a true fact that everyone loves to be recognized. Moreover, employees who receive good recognition from the managers tend to work more efficiently and smoothly. Also, recognizing employees who achieve various levels of professional development provide an encouragement for other employees to create professional development goals and to work towards those goals.
Employers can also provide recognition by awarding these employees or by acknowledging the accomplishment through a companywide email.
Support and Model Behavior
Being a manager, every employees will see you as a role model in the workplace. Taking this on note, act actively in your own professional development activities and let your staffs know that you value these opportunities to further your career.
Show interest in the progress of each employee participating in important project, and share their successes at team meetings. Also, encourage employee enrollment in professional organization by your own participation.
Invite Guest Speakers
Motivational speakers from other departments or from any other organizations can inspire your employees to use natural talents and skills to fullest extent possible.
Similarly, you can take ideas from your employees regarding who they would like to hear from. Doing this can help a training group to make a target of choosing the right type of speaker to invite, speak up and promote.
Hence, these are some ways to promote professional development in the workplace. We hope you like this content. If in case, you want to share your views or ideas then feel free to comment down below. For more tips on training and education, click here
