Staff Development: Make Your Grass the Greenest

Okay, you’ve heard it before, and even more than that, you’ve felt it: Unemployment is low, skilled people are in high demand, and you’re in serious combat with other companies to hire the best and the brightest. What can give you the advantage?

According to Elizabeth Hawk, a principal at Sibson & Company in St. Louis, companies on the leading edge seek growth opportunities for their employees. “One of the things we’ve found,” she says, referring to a recent study of about 1,200 U.S. workers, “is that about half of them are unhappy with growth opportunities at work.” In other words, the grass really is greener at companies that provide these opportunities. Alongside the stock options and benefit plans touted in Fortune Magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to
Work for in America” issue, it was reported that these top companies provide an average of 43 hours of training, per employee, each year. Sure, keeping employees happy is great, you say, but what about the cost? In Hawk’s view, “It absolutely costs too much not to provide growth opportunities. In many organizations, the real competitive advantage is its people. The people who are ‘belly-to-belly’ with the customers really make the difference.” The broader their perspective about the business, the more satisfied they’ll be—and satisfied employees are less likely to have a roving eye toward the next pasture. To make sure your grass is greener, Hawk recommends that you seek growth opportunities for staff at all levels of your organization because “everyone is a representative of the company.”

Growth Concepts

Find nontraditional career growth opportunities for employees. Allow them to learn more about the business as a whole, this includes lateral learning. Often they can offer ideas that have not been considered before, because they bring a different perspective to problems. Even if they end up doing the job they had before, their new, broader perspective of the totality of the business will help them make better decisions in their own roles.

Help people develop their skills in working with others, including problem-solving, communication, and team work. The bottom line, says Hawk, is this: “When people get invested in an organization, they are more likely to stay. You want them to feel great in three ways. You want them to say, ‘I work for a great company; I have a great job; and I get great rewards.’ If your people can make those statements, that’s as close to bullet-proof as you can get.”

Adding Depth to Development

When you have identified an area in which to expand growth opportunities, you’ll want to find ways to include junior staffers. You can help less experienced employees make a good impression, as well as learn more about the business, by using experienced staff to help bring them along.

Train your experienced staff on how to delegate then make sure they do.
Have experienced employees get in the habit of asking themselves, “How can a staff member learn from me?”
Develop strong mentor relationships and hold senior staff accountable to contribute to the program.
Include technically proficient, but less experienced, employees in business development meetings.

The benefits realized from this type of interaction will be worth the effort involved. Employees will be more satisfied with their careers and their company, and the company gains perspectives they might otherwise have overlooked—truly a win/win proposition!

GOOD LUCK ! ! !