How To Provide Career Growth Opportunities to Employees

Having employees who are great at their jobs is fantastic. However, to make your company an even better place and to help motivate your employees, it is important to provide career development opportunities to aid your employees. Luckily, there are multiple ways to foster professional development with your employees.

Volunteer opportunities

One way to help your employees learn new skills while getting involved in the community is by offering them opportunities to volunteer. There are many ways for them to get involved, even in ways that are connected to their field or career goals. Whether the employee is practicing a new skill or honing a skill they have been working on for a while, volunteering is a great way to gain experience while making a difference with a cause they believe in. Keep an eye out for opportunities your employees might want to take advantage of and schedule days off where your employees can have designated time to volunteer.

Encourage certifications

While your employees likely have some level of education or training, encourage them to get further education or certifications so they can learn new skills and level up their careers. There are several online learning platforms that allow employees to choose skills they want to enhance and have certificates to show they completed the class. Online options offer flexibility, but there may be in-person groups and organizations that offer classes. You may also want to encourage them to take certificate classes at a local college or university to explore new skills and advance their careers.

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Staff retreats

Staff retreats are a great way to build community and teamwork among your employees while also helping them build skills. Keep your employees’ preferences in mind as you figure out where to go and what you will be doing. Hire a facilitator for the retreat to help things run smoothly and help your employees learn from a different perspective. Have a clear budget and stick to it as closely as possible. Help your employees by keeping them in mind for things like travel, childcare, location, and duration.

Access to conferences

Conferences are a great way for employees to learn new things and meet people who are in similar job fields and positions. Give your employees an opportunity to go to conferences, whether they are local or far away. Allow them to take time to be away from work for these as they can help your employees learn new things that they can bring back to share with other employees. Let employees know of any opportunities there may be for conferences. If it is within your company’s budget, you may even offer to pay for the expenses associated with the conferences.

Mentorship

While it is good for employees to meet others outside of the office and connect with those on a similar level, it is also crucial for them to network and learn from those who are in higher positions in a field. As such, you may want to offer a mentorship program where more experienced employees can mentor employees. This is a great way for your employees to bond and connect while providing a space for them to learn from each other. Be sure to clearly define goals and guidelines and provide training and support. Monitor progress as the mentorship program moves forward and celebrate successes that come up as a part of this, no matter how small.

Set goals

One of the most basic things you can do as a manager is to help your employees set goals. Whether that means meeting a certain sales number or learning a new skill, having goals to work on can help your employees advance in their careers. Talk to them about what they hope to achieve in their career and help them build a plan to accomplish these goals. Provide support and opportunities for them to accomplish these goals and answer any questions or concerns that may arise. Having goals to work towards will motivate your employees and help them advance their careers.

Provide growth opportunities

While it is easy to create outside programs that look like you are invested in your employees’ career growth, it is important to provide opportunities for upward advancement within your company as well. Instead of immediately hiring an outside person for new open positions, see if any current employees are interested in applying. You need to train employees for their next-level position in the instance you are able to promote from within. If employees see that you are only hiring outside people before or without hiring from within, they will not be motivated to work harder and advance their careers within the company as you are not giving them the opportunities they seek.

Helping your employees advance their careers will inspire them to stay with the company longer as long as you provide these opportunities and encourage their growth.