Keep it all the family

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This article was published 04/02/2023 (1294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The month of February has always been known for the annual Valentine celebrations where individuals exchange special cards and celebrate relationships. In the American workplace, this month is also known as the National Human Relations Month. During this time, human resource professionals’ endeavour to review organizational policies and practices to see what can be done to create more effective employee engagement and inclusive workplaces. The goal is to ensure that every organization creates a work environment where each employee is treated with respect and given equal opportunities to develop and succeed.

So, I am going to take the liberty of declaring February Manitoba Human Relations Month with a focus on highlighting the importance of caring and attending to the training and development needs of employees. In a world where the last of the baby boomers are finally retiring and there is a shortage of talent, the best way to ensure long-term success is to grow your own talent by providing alternative career paths in your organization.

The importance of career paths was highlighted in a recent Canadian HR Reporter report. The survey identified that 84 per cent of employees who participated stated they would be more committed to their employer if there was a clear career path. Further, 51 per cent indicated they would consider staying with their current employer if there were opportunities to change their career path within the organization.

As well, 49 per cent were interested in using their current skills in new projects while 43 per cent declared an interest in learning new skills in a different department. Finally, 68 per cent preferred to learn on the job.

These statistics provide a clear message that progressive internal career paths supported by a focus on training and development are key to retaining employees. So, what does this mean for strategies and tactics? The following will help to guide the way.

Commit to development

Training and development must be seen as an investment rather than a cost. It also needs a dedicated budget. A standard rule of thumb for a training budget is to set aside 10 per cent of the annual salary budget. Training must also be well-organized and managed so that priorities are set for types of training and timeframes. If this framework is lacking, the training will become disjointed and the right skills may not be developed as needed.

Workforce planning

Managers need to undertake a review of staffing needs for the next three to five years so that progressive career paths can be identified. Then skill development goals can be established and matched with a training schedule. Complete your planning by setting short- and long-term priorities.

Program planning

With teamwork gaining in importance, interpersonal and leadership skills need to be integrated with technical skills programs. One approach that is gaining traction is called microlearning, where longer courses are delivered in bite-size pieces. Organizations are also incorporating online learning and game approaches to appeal to different learning styles.

Understand motivation factors

It is important to understand what motives your employees and use this knowledge to encourage individuals to engage in a progressive training schedule. People are motivated by such things as identifying with their job and/or title, job security, helping others, being independent on the job, developing highly specialized technical skills and/or leadership skills and/or having an opportunity to be challenged and creative. Understanding motivation gives managers a head start on matching training offerings to the interests of each employee.

Learn career interests

Asking where staff see themselves in the next five years is not sufficient as I find many people can’t answer this question. You are better off to phrase the question around the motivators: “Do you see yourself building on your leadership skills with the goal of a promotion in the next three years?” Apply good listening skills so that you can hear enthusiasm during the discussion.

Cross-training

Training employees in alternate positions provides professional growth and backup personnel for various jobs. This is very beneficial for vacation replacements and/or when an employee departs from an organization.

Job shadowing: This is a technique that allows an employee to accompany a colleague on their job to get a basic understanding of what they do. The purpose is to create an interest in taking more training prior to actually making a transfer or engaging in a training program.

Secondments

This refers to temporary placements in a job and is a great way to expose employees to different career paths while giving them direct experience in a new job. Secondments can be within the same organization and/or other corporations or agencies what will allow the term assignment. Secondments are typically one to two years in length.

Acting status

Placing an individual in a job with acting status also provides a good growth opportunity. Typically acting status is used for promotional opportunities but it can be used for any job role.

Relationship training

Today’s workplace demands strong interpersonal skills and teamwork. This means that programs should include training in self-awareness and personality, communication and leadership style, as well as conflict resolution. All of these types of courses help to support better relationships in the workplace.

Career management training

Career management is a dual responsibility with input from both the employer and the individual. Many individuals stop thinking about the concept of career once they get their first job, yet career management is something that should be done at every stage of one’s life. Be sure to provide a training program on career management and provide the tools and strategies to set goals and monitor long-term growth and progress.

Learning and development are seen as a key trend for the year 2023. Organizational needs are changing, legislation is changing, and employees will need technical upskilling and reskilling. With a labour shortage continuing throughout the year, I strongly suggest that one of the best solutions to both attracting and retaining employees is to make your learning and development programs a high priority. In doing so, it is important to focus programs on training that enables employees to move into a progressive internal career path.

Source: 7 Learning and development trends shaping the 2023 training landscape, Raluca Cristescu, Cypher Learning, Dec. 21, 2022; 5-star learning and development, Christina Gialelli, Talent MS

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, B.Ed, M.Ed, CCP is a human resource professional, author, radio personality, speaker, executive coach and workshop leader. She can be reached at barb@bowesleadership.com.