Employee development… the bigger picture
Do organisations want well-trained, educated and developed staff on board? Of course they do! If you run a company or business of whatever size, you’ll know that to gain and keep a competitive edge you need dynamic and creative people on your side as opposed to cogs that simply go through the motions. The business world never stands still, so your workforce needs to be willing and able to instigate change and innovation, rather than simply coping with it.
So, you have a robust recruitment system in place that enables you to attract and appoint excellent staff. That’s just the start though; to help them reach their potential and make their mark on your organisation, they would benefit from training and development. If you encourage and sponsor education through Uni@Work and take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy, you’ll be doing wonders for the motivation and effectiveness of your staff. The crucial question is, once they feel better qualified, will they become more career-focused, get itchy feet and depart for a role elsewhere? And does that then still represent successful development?
Work-based learning is crucial, but is it still a success if they leave?
Informing and educating people does indeed give them more options, so you may be concerned about the prospect of losing staff after facilitating their achievement of a degree. But if handled well through good communication and conversations about career progression, it could lead to a good outcome for all concerned. For example, imagine a member of staff indicates through the appraisal system that they would like to develop certain aspects of their skills that would potentially fit with an alternative role within your business. Providing the necessary education could increase their commitment and job satisfaction while at the same time equipping them to shine in an area of your organisation that needs them.
It’s true that should options elsewhere crop up, there’s always the chance that people will be tempted to further their career with a different employer. However, if career progression and support beyond the course is factored in from the beginning, the journey will be more meaningful and satisfactory for both parties, and retention more likely. If an employee does move on, they will take with them a positive image of your organisation – which will be beneficial for the public perception of your brand.
Not least, the opportunity to gain a valuable degree through the workplace can certainly increase loyalty to the organisation, which has exciting implications for the development of future talent and the autonomous leaders of the future. Don’t lose heart if they spend some time away from your business, because it’s also possible that they could return at a later stage with the experience needed to take up a different role. As with so much in the business world, it’s about having the vision to see the bigger picture, and recognising the need for a skilled and knowledgeable workforce.
– Save The Date –
A Uni@Work event will be held on Wednesday 25 January in the late afternoon/early evening at Coventry University Simulation Centre.
More details to follow soon.