Startups and large corporations face similar issues when expanding in today’s growing market. They often don’t have the human resources to fill key roles that open up because of the expansion. This is an issue that isn’t always easy to solve, especially when you consider the competitive job market we have today.
It is actually much better to prepare future leaders and key employees from the start. Having a strong employee development program is now a necessity rather than an option. If you want to start with a development program for your startup’s employees, here are some key tips to keep in mind.
Identify potential employees
The first ingredient of a successful development program is the identification of potential employees. Don’t get me wrong; every employee needs to have the same opportunity to grow alongside the startup. The development program needs to cover all employees since their growth translates to the company’s growth.
That said, the development program must also be able to identify employees that show more potential than the rest. Identifying potential employees early allows your business to develop those employees faster, which means you can still fill key positions as you expand rapidly due to market opportunities.
Bring in mentors
Mentorship programs are great for employees who are trying to grow professionally. Mentors can really add many things to the whole growth-centric environment, including industry experience and expanded network.
Mentorship isn’t a new thing either. Many companies already work with service providers like Menttium to provide their employees with qualified mentors. Some focus on leadership programs for women executives. Others take a more general approach and offer mentorship in different fields.
Of course, you have to understand how to start a mentoring program correctly. Working with experienced mentors and mentoring service providers is best if you want to get the program running without dealing with the usual obstacles.
Invest time
Giving employees time for personal development is also a good ingredient to add to your employee development program. Whether employees want to participate in social movements, pursue a master’s degree, or work on personal projects, knowing that you support them by giving them time for personal growth can be very motivating.
Similar to mentoring programs, this is an approach that is known to be very effective in existing businesses. Many companies now allow their employees to take a few hours from their work schedules to volunteer or to study for a master’s degree.
Get involved
One last thing to keep in mind is the importance of positioning your company – and yourself – as a partner for employees’ growth. Things, like offering counseling through HR and helping employees with their personal projects, can really help employees grow at a much faster rate.
The way you show compassion and interest in employees’ development will touch the employees affected by your action. When it is time for top employees to fill strategic positions, they will use the same approach to run their teams. That’s how you know you have great leaders protecting the future of your business and working towards sustainable growth.