How do professional development opportunities influence the way your company is perceived?

For the last dozen years or so, companies have found it difficult to acquire talent or retain valuable employees. That’s what makes all the internal Employer Branding activities, to create attractive working conditions and development opportunities, even more important. 

In numerous questionnaires and internal satisfaction surveys, the most common answer to the question on what motivates people to stay within the organization is: “the development opportunities.” That’s why so many companies plan the talent identification and upskilling systems already at the career path creation stage. It is vital that those plans are seen through. If an employer claims there is an opportunity for the employees to participate in valuable trainings, they should actually provide it. Only then will employees appreciate the company’s contribution in their professional development, and thus they will want to remain within its structures.

Development opportunities can take various forms 

They can be internal and external trainings, including language courses. Mentoring programs and other forms of knowledge sharing within an organization are becoming more and more popular. For many employees the opportunity to represent the company outside, at industry events, conferences or important meetings with key clients can also be a source of motivation. But to represent your employer in the media is something on an entirely different level. For many it can be a significant stressor, so you should always ask if a person feels comfortably in the spotlight. It is important to, as far as possible, organize events that provide development opportunities regularly (even if only once every six months), because prestigious workshops with a famous coach may be seen as worth waiting for by your employees. 

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It is also important not to make them a “mandatory” element of the integration trips (internal employer branding tool in its own right). There is nothing wrong with trainings organized at such occasions, but their effectiveness is usually diminished by the climax of the event. As the result, an employer invests in costly workshops, doomed to fade in contrast with all other attractions the employees will enjoy at the annual meetup. 

What does the employer gain by allowing the employee to develop their skills? 

Well, first of all, the higher skill level of the employee, which translates directly into the work effectiveness. The decision making processes become shorter, task delegation becomes easier, and efficiency rises – this all directly impacts overall profitability of the organization. Additional and less obvious benefits? The employer brand of a company that provides various development opportunities to its employees draws in the best candidates and facilitates talent retention! Participation in trainings integrates the team, counteracts “silo” approach and improves the communication in the company, and interdisciplinary team creation becomes much easier. Additionally, recruitment teams receive more applications from people who are not only interested in short time employment, but also long term career development. In other words: more valuable ones.

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Moreover, those included in the company training program gain the feeling of employment stability, as they see that the company invests considerable resources in them, so it’s likely to envision long term cooperation. One of the most powerful social dynamics takes effect – the principle of reciprocity. If the company invested heavily in the employee, the latter feels obligated to return the favor. The level of engagement rises, as do resilience and the willingness to solve problems on one’s own. Both parties stand to gain.

To summarize – the activities aimed at building the “employer of choice” image can be various forms of upskilling and provide to both the employer and the employee a number of benefits. The companies in which current and potential employees see the attractive environment to develop their career path, gain the competitive edge of knowledge-based organizations.

Do you want to develop your brand and are looking for a coworking space in Warsaw? Click here and check out the Solutions.Rent’s offices.