Zephyrnet Logo

How To Support Internal Growth For Your Employees

Date:

The employee has always been a crucial aspect in conducting business. However, the events over the last few years have emphasized the importance and value of good employees even further. In fact this has happened on such a grand scale that it looks to fundamentally change the dynamic of the professional workforce and their employers for the foreseeable future. This is highlighted best by the current disconnect between the unemployed and the jobs available on the market. Many economists have pointed to this very disparity and used it to paint the working class as unreasonable, lazy, and unwilling to work. The reality, though, is that society is finally catching up to inflation and refusing to take on positions that treat them like subhumans. This is evident in the demands that employees make. Things like fair compensation, reasonable benefits, and safe working environments. Regardless of which side of the line you fall on in this regard, high-quality employees are extremely valuable in the current market.

For organizational leadership, this should bring up questions about how to best support their employees, set them up for success, and nurture both employee development and growth. By prioritizing employees and employee development, organizations see a higher quality staff that is more loyal and more productive.

“In healthcare, research shows that 40%-50% of health outcomes are determined by individual behavior, which means there is only so much we can offer as providers to improve health outcomes. Similarly, it’s time to recognize that policies and protocols only go so far in boosting job performance. The rest comes down to the individual. By investing in our employees — inside and out of the office — we support them in achieving their personal and professional goals, enabling them to bring their best selves to work each and every day.”

Matthew Loper, CEO and Co-Founder, Wellth –

Delivering Constructive Criticism

When it comes to helping employees develop and grow, constructive criticism is unavoidable. However, how that constructive criticism is delivered can actually be a total game-changer. Constructive criticism is important because it plays a big role in the way that we learn and improve our skills and processes. At the same time, the wrong delivery can come off as harsh and completely demotivating. This is what needs to be avoided amongst organizational leaders and managers.

“Finding the right balance of encouragement and blunt-honesty can sometimes be like walking a tight-rope. You don’t want to sugar-coat things and you need to make sure they understand the mistake, but at the same time you don’t want to make them feel like less of a human or anything. It can definitely take some practice to find that right balance.”

– Lionel Mora, CEO, Neoplants

One helpful trick in delivering constructive criticism is in identifying what went well before discussing the areas that need improvement. This can reassure the employee that they were, in fact, on the right track, but just need to work on a bit of the fine-tuning.

“I think the employees that are most receptive to constructive criticism are those who are brand new to the industry. They know that they don’t know everything yet, so they’re just willing to learn. I love the energy that they bring, too. It’s contagious”

– Natalia Morozova, Partner, Cohen, Tucker & Ades P.C.

Create Leadership or Managerial Opportunities

Another great way to help employees grow and develop in the company is to present them with leadership and managerial opportunities. By giving team members a chance to step up to the plate and take a few swings at leadership roles, you can see who shines where, and in what contexts. This can be helpful in delegating tasks in the future, and making sure employees are being assigned tasks that suit their best skills and talents.

“Knowing who excels at what on your team is the magic ingredient in my personal opinion. When you know what your teammates are good at, you can much more easily make use of their collective talents in the context of a work-project. Having an eye for others’ talents is part of being a good leader.”

– Adam Bém, Co-Founder and COO, Victoria VR

Additionally, by granting employees the chance to take on a leadership or managerial role within the context of a team, a group project, or anything else, organizations can stimulate and encourage employee engagement and job satisfaction.

“I think people want more responsibility than they’re given most of the time. So then, when the opportunity does show up, there’s a little light that turns on inside them. I love seeing the flicker of fire behind one of my team members’ eyes, cause I still remember the first time I felt that way about this job.”

– Chris Gadek, Head of Growth, AdQuick

Promote From Within

One of the best strategies an organization can deploy in order to demonstrate employee investment is to continually promote from within. Prioritizing promoting from within shows employees that the organizational management and leadership is dedicated to helping employees climb the ladder, grow both personally and professionally, and find true job-fulfillment.

“It certainly isn’t the easiest thing to always do, promote from within, but we do it whenever we can. I think it really shows our people that there’s a lifetime career here if they want it. That’s what we’re after, cultivating an employee experience that people stay with us for their whole careers.”

– Daniel Kroytor, CEO, TailoredPay

Promoting from within is a great way to keep people around for years and even decades. In a world that is constantly shifting, evolving, and seemingly accelerating, employees want to know that they have a secure future with plenty of growth potential.

image
spot_img

Latest Intelligence

spot_img