Ask Andi: We’ve got to develop employee talent. We have a couple of employees we don’t want to lose who can’t grow where they are.
Thoughts of the Day: Develop employee talent. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this. Figure out the talent you’ll need in the future. Look for keepers among your current employee pool. Keep employees for the right reasons. Figure out the fit through a variety of means. Re-onboard employees periodically.
Develop employee talent
Every business owner needs to carve out time to work on the business. Plan how to meet the company’s future needs. What kind of work will the company be doing? People will need to fill what jobs? Train for what skills go with those jobs? Will jobs be removed? Play out alternate scenarios:
- A: If the economy expands vs. or contracts. Stronger sales and marketing skills may be needed. To know which way the wind is blowing and to sail ahead of it.
- B: One product takes off, another one dies off. More R&D is tied to stronger production skills. Fewer employees are assigned to work on declining services.
- C: Expansion equates to investment in infrastructure at the same time cash flow dries up. May call for greater finance skills.
- D: Steady growth, more employees, more complex regulatory environment. Shine the spotlight on increased legal and human resources ability.
How will the company deal with an aging workforce,? Changing demographics. The need for workers to have a college-level education? Firstly, brainstorming gives you time to prepare. Develop employee talent. Secondly, start with your current base of employees. Further look for high achievers, steady producers, people you can count on. Moreover look for honesty, integrity, hard work, and foresight. Talk with employees about the need to build future talent. And challenge them to participate in that process.
Integrate organizational processes
Develop employee talent. Get people to engage in their personal development. Show people what the future can look like. Use trainers to build skills. And coaches to work through the challenges. Meanwhile, talk with employees about what the future of the business is likely to hold.
Find out why employees see themselves as connected to your company. Build on that as you consciously develop the company’s culture. Ensure the values of growth and opportunity are part of the company’s mission.
For example, set KPIs that are good for the business and that reward people for making improvements. Productivity, research, and development. Loss ratios, waste rates. Meanwhile, measure how much people are taking on ownership responsibilities. Look for increasing amounts of time off for the owner. Reward reasonable risk-taking and the ability to problem-solve.
Be intentional with training. Talk about it at every review. Likewise, ask big picture questions:
- Where do employees get the education they need to know?
- What training resources are available inside the company?
- How do people gain access?
- Are people who seek education outside the company supported? Funding? Reimbursement for results? Time off to study? Recognition for accomplishments? Promotion ladders?
Learn from experience
Above all, as employees grow, figure out how they get promoted. Not all promotions have to be vertical. Allow employees to rotate through other areas of the business. This can be beneficial for the individual and the company.
In conclusion, develop employee talent. As employees grow, it can be hard for peers to adjust. Have a formal promotion process, as if the employee were new to the company. Meanwhile, make a major announcement. Review responsibilities and benefits that go with the new assignment. Hold a networking session for the employee’s new peer class. Above all, assign a mentor to oversee the transition.
What money and effort went into training an employee for a new position? If this was a new hire, introduce the employee. Similarly, ensure the employee understood his/her responsibilities. Likewise, watch over integration with superiors, peers, and subordinates. As an existing employee shifts into a new role and new responsibilities. In short, be equally as formal: behave as if this were a brand new employee.
Looking for a good book? Developing Employees Who Love to Learn: Tools, Strategies, and Programs for Promoting Learning at Work, by Linda Honold.
