The days of employer-employee loyalty are long gone. Around 4% of the total workforce changes jobs every 12 months. Though wage concerns are high on the priority list, today’s workers have a more holistic approach to whether they stay or leave a position.
A salary can often lure an employee from another company, but once you hire them, the retention problems compound. How can you keep employees from jumping ship?
The answer may lie in professional development.
This reciprocal perk combines the professional growth employees crave with short- and long-term payoffs for employers. According to a Gallup poll, employers that offer professional development see profits rise 21%, productivity increases up to 17%, and overall boosts to morale, employee engagement, and retention.
With such eye-popping improvements in employee performance, the worst thing a company can do is fail to provide these programs. Implementation is an obstacle, but with planning and creativity, you can achieve solutions.
Use these professional development ideas to attract new employees, boost individual career growth, and reap the benefits of a dynamic, engaged, and knowledgeable workforce.
Not all professional development ideas have to border on the mundane or a stereotype to be effective. In most cases, team members react more effectively to professional development programs that provide a mix of hands-on training, learning opportunities, flexibility, and excitement.
Perfect for both in-person and online immersion, these professional development ideas can reinforce core competencies, build leadership skills, and improve soft skills — all with a touch of intrigue and enthusiasm.
Mentorships are a win-win professional development idea. Over two-thirds of employees report improved productivity and engagement with a mentor's help. Both external and internal mentors can help employees learn new skill sets, such as time management, decision-making, problem-solving, and adaptability, while providing challenges and discussions that can form a successful career path.
.png)
Lunch and learns are short training sessions during your employees’ lunch break. These seminars afford professional development opportunities while also reinforcing team bonding and socializing. You can use these sessions to discuss diversity, work-life balance, or career goals, build personal development, or talk about new policies, products, or services.
Lunch and learns also provide a forum to discuss professional development topics and gauge interest in professional development activities, giving you a leg-up on your professional development ideas.
Remember that lunch-and-learn programs are far more effective when you’re catering. A Hoppier gift card saves money for your employees and lets them choose their favorite meal to nosh on while they’re learning.
Career advancement often hinges on an employee’s leadership abilities. However, the propensity for natural leadership is minute at best. Regardless of the person’s innate skills, leadership can be cultivated with the right development plan.
Professional development courses can help people build the foundation of leadership principles, emphasizing management, communication, and other integral soft skills.
Learning from a mentor, online teacher, or seasoned employee is a great professional development idea. But if you want a unique learning experience, employee-led learning is second to none.
Employee teachers reinforce their skills and boost their confidence while imparting useful tidbits to their peers and colleagues. Engage in these sessions monthly to strengthen the teacher-learner skill among your entire staff.
Online courses have become far more popular in the post-pandemic world. Around 40% of Fortune 500 companies employ online learning courses, which cover all kinds of professional development topics:
Most of these training courses allow employees to learn at their own pace. External learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy also provide certifications that can strengthen an employee’s overall knowledge base.
Corporate retreats can welcome new solutions to business problems, introduce novel team-building activities, and build company culture and values, all while offering a much-needed break from the everyday work environment.
What makes corporate retreats even more interesting as professional development ideas is that they facilitate teamwork and development training in a group setting rather than an individual one. This is a meeting of the minds of sorts, ping-ponging ideas and skills from peer to peer on top of the guidance of a retreat leader.
Book clubs are an exciting addition to your employee engagement program but can also foster professional development ideas among colleagues. Outside of Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey, book clubs focusing on self-improvement and employee development can promote open discussion about development topics and career paths. Include a list of suggested reading materials to sprinkle in with fiction and maximize the potential of this group.
Job shadowing is a low-cost professional development idea that gives insight into the work lives of other employees. As part of a professional development training program, it can help cross-train employees and provide a glimpse into other departments or seniority levels.
Start this program by asking employees what skills they’d like to learn and what departments pique their interest. Pair them with a friendly mentor who’s willing to answer questions and impart knowledge. Continue the program for a few days or a week.
At the end of the job-shadowing session, invite the job shadower and the mentor to a meeting to discuss how the program went. If it’s a success, it may be one of the best professional development ideas you can do on a dime — and with superb results.
You don’t always have to use job shadowing as part of a cross-training program. It’s just one of many avenues you can pursue as part of your professional development ideas.
If you don’t have the manpower for job shadowing, you still have plenty of other options, including:
How you decide to cross-train your employees depends on your organizational needs and employee interests. During one-on-ones or coffee chats, ask potential candidates if they’re interested and go from there.
Conflict resolution is one of the most difficult facets of professional development. Most people avoid conflict entirely, shy away from it, or react poorly to it (anger, fear, sadness, etc.). However, conflict resolution is foundational — it leads to an ability to tackle challenges of any magnitude.
Because conflict resolution can improve team dynamics, you can have team training or a workshop. Alternatively, online courses or mentorships are also effective at conquering this difficult leadership skill.
.png)
Performance appraisals aren’t solely for assessing employee performance. A strong connection exists between performance reviews and professional growth.
Reassure your employees that performance reviews are a growth opportunity, not a glance at the employee’s shortfalls. By doing so, you can alleviate the fear and uneasiness that often accompany a performance review.
During the performance appraisal, discuss these items to fully utilize the review as a top-tier professional development idea:
Performance appraisals don’t have to be scary. Asking the right questions can help you build a framework for individual success.
One of the best professional development ideas is an entirely hands-off approach. Rather than forcing an employee into training seminars or job shadowing, you let them choose their own adventure in development.
Like other stipends, you provide a set dollar amount to cover any expenses the employee uses to further their skills or education. This discretionary fund is perfect for online courses, training, wellness programs, or anything else that motivates employees and teaches them relevant skills that propel them in their careers.
Hoppier can help you make career development stipends a bit easier with an e-gift card. Once you choose the amount, these cards are as good as cash — giving the recipient full flexibility to use them as you see fit.
In an increasingly remote world, team collaboration isn’t what it used to be. Many employees don’t even get a chance to meet their coworkers, which can lead to a lack of camaraderie and a downturn in professional development.
Therefore, employers should place a strong emphasis on team collaboration. When teams meet regularly, they can bounce ideas off each other, learn more about what each person does, and foster communication — all important aspects of professional development.
Professional development ideas motivate many employees but are far more effective when paired with other initiatives. Employee recognition and appreciation, rewards systems, and other perks bolster professional development, bringing development full circle.
For rewards, milestones, work anniversaries, or a job well done, few gifts provide more flexibility than a virtual gift card from Hoppier. Customize your card with your company logo, add a spending limit, and email it to recipients in over 60 countries.
Professional development is great, but sometimes, the little things keep employees just as excited and motivated to be a part of something bigger.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Our team will support you, to make your programs a success
Amazing customer service
Average 4 minute response times
International coverage
