As a business leader, employee development tools are essential to the growth, retention and success of your team. According to Salesforce, an astounding three in four workers don’t have the digital skills needed by businesses, only 28% are participating in training programs. Organizations have faced skills shortages over the last few years but this can be managed through reskilling or upskilling current employees.
Employee development tools are beneficial to an employee’s professional growth. When leadership supports these initiatives, employees become more productive and engaged team members.
Here are some employee development tools that can help employees acquire the skills to be more successful in their roles within the organization.
Adaptability
Adaptability is defined as a person’s ability to adjust to changes in their environment. An employee’s success in the workplace is determined by how they react effectively to a variety of situations.
There are many things in the workplace that change outside of a team’s control, colleagues leave, projects get delayed, and campaigns don’t launch. These are all stressful situations and being adaptable lets the team be more in control to find solutions.
Adaptability is a skill that can be honed and sets you apart from others. Employees can build resilience, and remain calm under pressure to make decisions which lets your team be more productive and efficient.
Here are some tips to develop adaptability:
- Be open minded by withholding judgment and think about the current situation from every angle, and try to include all possibilities.
- Learn to embrace changes in situations by taking risks and accepting the results, whatever they are.
- Practice self-care and mindfulness during difficult changes and reach out for support to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.
Employees who can adapt to the changing scenarios will both be more productive even with deliverables, tasks and circumstances thus leading to advancement in the workplace.
Active Listening
Have you been in conversations where you suspected that the other person wasn’t really paying attention? When you are actively listening you are 100% zoned in to what the other person is saying and doing. It’s more rewarding for others when they feel listened to and you’ll benefit too.
Neuroscience research has proven that people’s brains produce oxytocin, the “social bonding” chemical, when they feel they’re being listened to. The production of oxytocin can build trust and help you remember details about other people. Here are some tips to become a more active listener:
- During appropriate pauses in the conversation, offer insightful feedback, a followup question or even a clarifying question. Be careful to not be planning what to say next because you can’t listen and prepare your reply at the same time.
- Simple things such as eye contact, nodding your head and not looking at your phone or away shows the speaker you aren’t distracted and are paying attention to what they are saying.
- Posture, voice, tone, and gestures can reveal more than words. When paying attention to what the other person is saying, you can observe “non-verbal” body language – if they are smiling, or are their arms crossed defensively, or are they yawning.
- Express emotion appropriate to the situation such as happiness, empathy or encouragement.
Active listening can help you to do your job more effectively, build better relationships and even be more productive – all skills that are critical in personal and professional scenarios.
Continuous Education
Encouraging continuous education leads to increased productivity, fewer mistakes and workplace satisfaction. Employees are able to advance their skills to pursue promotions and more responsibility.
Here are some reasons to continue your education:
- Leadership seeks out employees who invest their time and energy into self-improvement and this makes them ideal candidates for increased opportunities for promotions.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics advanced education can increase your income by thousands of dollars a year. On average, a college degree holder will earn twice as much as someone who doesn’t have a degree.
- Want to switch careers? Need new skills? Ready to beef up your resume? You will stand out with marketability not only because of your additional qualifications, but employers will recognize that you have the focus to take on a challenge and complete the task.
As you spend time continuously learning, the outcomes are positive for your career and your life. Improving your career often trickles down to the rest of your life because you have a higher salary and are more satisfied with your salary, etc.
Driving Employee Development
One of the key contributors for the long-term success of an organization are the people. When talent moves up, the organization also moves to the next-level. Ongoing employee development definitely plays an important role in securing human capital and creating impactful leadership.
Upskilling and reskilling talent to shift into these roles is critical for an organization’s success. Learn more about our Enterprise solutions to transform your team today.
