How to Train and Develop Your Employees the Right Way

In today’s corporate landscape, training and development, or learning and development (L&D), plays an integral role in the way employees are scouted, retained, and promoted.

One state-of-the-industry L&D study from LinkedIn indicated that 82 percent of L&D pros say that their executives actively support employees pursuing professional learning and career development. Many employers are becoming increasingly engaged in learning and development, and if your team is not, it’s time to get going! 

Below we will explore three ways to boost your L&D programs in a way that benefits both you and your employees. 

Get Your Ducks In a Row

Before you kick off an L&D program, you must strategically assess your existing talent pool. First, identify skill gaps within your organization, while also noting which employees are ‘HiPos,’ or high potential employees. HiPos exhibit more leadership skills, autonomy, and better performance than their colleagues—but only ten percent of respondents to a Harvard Business Review survey say they are actively identifying and developing HiPos. 

Once you have strategically identified your high performers, you have to develop career pipelines for them to be promoted within. This could include performance guidelines, benchmarks, or other ways of tracking workplace achievements.

Tailor Your Program

Once you’ve identified high potential employees within your organization, it’s time to decide whether your training and development programs are going to be catered exclusively to them, or to everyone within the organization. The way high achievers learn is going to be different from the way other employees learn. Another thing to consider is the age demographic you are positioning for. For example, one study indicates that 74 percent of talent developers say they plan to make changes to their L&D program to accommodate Gen Z workers, who learn differently than millennials or Gen X. 

Consider Further Learning Opportunities

Some businesses offer employee stipends for further learning. These stipends could include going back to school to obtain a degree or certification, or just to take classes related to a job or position an employee is being groomed for. Including money for further learning is a great way to boost your benefits package in a way that returns value to your organization. 

Originally featured in UBA’s November 2019 HR Elements Newsletter.