When I applied to be a content writer at Lemonade Stand, I had to look up what SEO meant. Seven months later, I’m still no expert, but I can talk you through the importance of keywords, links, and rankings, and I’m constantly thinking about how Google and different readers will react to my writing. I also care more about my coworkers and community than I ever thought I would because of a job.
It all comes down to employee development—everything executive leaders, managers, trainers, and I did to help me be a better member of my team. If you’re concerned about how to develop your employees, this post is for you. Let’s take a look at some ideas for helping your team members grow into their full potential.
The Ultimate Team Effort
Employee growth requires involvement at all levels, but the key players are the individuals themselves. Each employee has to take ownership of their personal growth by seeking opportunities for learning and actively pursuing new challenges. As a leader, your job is to provide the guidance, resources, and environment to support this desire to expand their skills.
How to Develop Employees: Our Top Tips
Each team is a little different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the question of how to develop employees, but here’s a few basics that can make all the difference.
Provide Regular Feedback
Both positive and constructive feedback are key to employee growth, and surveys show that 75% of employees value feedback, and 65% would like to receive more feedback. Find a way to check in with employees often, praise what they are doing well, and give ideas for improvement—it’s one of the best ways for them to know what skills they need to work on.
Beyond just giving your team tips on what to keep doing and what to adjust, regular feedback also shows that you care about their work. They’ll feel that their job is important, which will motivate them to do their best and keep making efforts to improve. Knowing that they’ve done something well gives them purpose and enthusiasm to keep up the good work.
Encourage Professional Development
Learning on the job and through experience is a great way to increase practical skills, but giving staff members a chance for more controlled, intentional professional development can be the answer to how to develop employees.
This includes things like working through courses or workshops together, sharing resources for learning new skills, providing incentives for completing certifications, etc.
Show Trust
Whenever I see a particularly technical topic come up on my writing list or get assigned to write for a new client, the anxiety alarms in my brain go haywire for about three seconds. But then I just feel excited to learn and try something new—and grateful to know my leaders trust me to take on a difficult task.
It’s no secret that being challenged and nudged out of our comfort zones helps us grow, and this principle is especially true in the workplace. So don’t be afraid to give your team members projects and assignments that will make them stretch, ask questions, and try out new resources. Make sure they know you’re there to help, let them dive in, and watch amazing things happen.
Make the Growing Process Positive
It’s important that your team knows you care about their development, and it’s important that they feel excited about it too! Here’s some ideas for how to develop employees in a positive growth environment:
- Encourage them to ask questions
- Have high expectations and high understanding—expect the best out of each team member, and use mistakes as constructive, kind learning opportunities
- Create good vibes by being genuine, having fun at work, and promoting positive talk about other team members, clients, etc.
Don’t Forget Peer Influence
Professional and personal growth doesn’t have to be limited to leaders and individual employees. Working with peers can boost performance by up to 14%, including mentorship programs, coworker feedback, collaboration on projects, etc. So when you’re unsure how to develop employees, give some teamwork a try!
Here’s an example that could spark some ideas: Every month, our team meets to edit each other’s work, swap ideas, and practice new techniques. Learning together keeps us accountable for our work and development and opens up a dialogue for asking questions and getting help. It’s the perfect way to create unity and remind us that we’re all improving together.
A New Element of Employee Development
The debate of how to develop employees isn’t just about professional skills. It’s also about helping each other become happier, better, more grateful people to work with. The Build Then Bless program is designed to help you do both.
With BTB, you have a simple way to provide that positive feedback and acknowledge your team for exceptional work with a shoutout and a bonus. Staff members can also share stories of the little things they’re doing to make the world a better place, one micro-interaction at a time.
As everyone sees the wonderful things their coworkers are doing, good feelings, boosted morale, and an extra burst of motivation are sure to follow—just the right combination for inspiring growth and progress.
Create a Positive Culture of Growth with Build Then Bless
If you’ve spent hours wondering how to develop your employees in a positive, meaningful way that promotes effective relationships within your team, Build Then Bless might be just the thing for you. Learn more about the app and see if you’re ready to become a Build Then Bless company—we think you are.
