A lack of development opportunities is consistently one of the biggest reasons people give for leaving a job.
28% of employees are dissatisfied with the level of training and development offered by their employer.
Who’s looking for a new job?
Not satisfied with employer’s development opportunities = 47%
vs.
Satisfied with employer’s development opportunities = 12%
Doubt employers can match their career aspirations = 48%
vs.
Confident employers can match their career aspirations = 6%
Getting development wrong costs you in engagement, motivation and retention. Avoid these eight development downfalls to keep your team working together.
1. DON’T just delegate the jobs you don’t want to do.
This will be boring and demotivating for your team. Delegate interesting and challenging tasks which will stimulate and engage them instead.
2. DON’T micromanage.
Constantly looking over your team members’ shoulders is likely to be stressful and frustrating for them while trying to learn something new. Give your team space to develop new skills, and let them ask for help when they need it.
3. DON’T wait for people to ask for development opportunities.
People who want to develop new skills aren’t always confident or empowered enough to initiate the conversation. Talk to each of your team members regularly about their career goals and aspirations.
4. DON’T be afraid to challenge people’s mindsets towards learning at work.
Too often, people assume they have to sacrifice productivity to stop and learn new skills. Encourage people to see learning as part of their everyday job.
5. DON’T let your team members get stuck in a rut.
Without the encouragement and stimulation to improve, many people will cruise along in safe mode, only doing what they know well. Try to provide challenging work to stretch people and take them out of their comfort zones.
6. DON’T just refer people to your organisation’s training handbook or list of courses for ‘development’.
Formal learning courses only account for 10% of the learning people do at work. [2] Make sure people are exposed to a wide range of learning opportunities and resources.
7. DON’T just focus on the organisation’s needs.
Treating your team’s development as if it’s only in the company’s interests is likely to be demotivating and disengaging. Find out what each team member’s interests are, and work with them to develop those areas.
8. DON’T assume that learning will stick all on its own.
A lack of opportunity to put learning into practice makes it much harder to retain new skills. Make sure team members have opportunities to apply and embed their learning as soon as possible.
Reference:
Claire Churchard, ‘Dissatisfaction with Career Training and Development Hits Talent Retention, Survey Suggests’, at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2014/10/29/dissatisfaction-with-career-training-and-development-hits-talent-retention-survey-suggests.aspx (October 2014).
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