The term "employee development" covers a wide range of activities. It's easy to lose track or get bogged down in too many simultaneous initiatives. So, how can I be both creative and methodical in personal development and particularly in career planning? Dr Matthias Walter, Senior Manager at the consultancy firm Blue Advisory GmbH and an expert in HR processes, knows the answer.
Many business owners ask themselves:
We're looking for a smart solution to improve internal mobility, especially in personal development and career planning. Where should we strategically focus our efforts, and what risks should we guard against?
Dr Matthias Walter, Senior Manager at consultancy firm Blue Advisory GmbH and an expert in HR processes, responds:
Employee evelopment (ED) encompasses a vast area. It starts with systematic competence management ("What skills do I currently have in-house? What will I need today/in the future, and how can I fill any gaps?") and extends through effective career planning and concepts for coaching, mentoring, or further training, to processes for onboarding new employees. The list could go on—it's important to emphasise that almost all activities in ED are interconnected. Gaps in the organisation-wide competence profile are closed with further training measures, succession planning happens in part through career planning, and so on. You should therefore always view ED as a holistic approach.
How should I systematically and methodically introduce a ED concept?
There is no universal "master plan" for introducing a ED concept. How best to proceed should always be based on the company and its aims and needs. However, you can consider the following tips:
Prioritise! Identify the most pressing issues. Are you struggling to find suitable specialists or managers on the market? Then focus on developing your employees. Are talents leaving because they lack prospects? Then work on career planning strategies.
Avoid wanting too much at once! If you're starting ED from scratch, start small. Employees shouldn't end up overwhelmed by too many initiatives—not to mention the internal capacities you have for implementation. It's better to do a few things excellently than many things just adequately.
Start with basic measures! Even a well-planned onboarding process for a new employee can make a significant difference (ensuring they "feel at home" from day one and quickly "get up to speed").
Concepts and processes take precedence over tools! To me, ED is primarily about concepts and corresponding processes. Tools can assist, but ED fundamentally revolves around the individual. Standardisation and automation are limited compared to other business disciplines.
Career planning: vertical, horizontal, or both?
Career planning as a component of ED might initially seem like "How do I develop a young talent into a manager within my company". However, it extends beyond that. Not every talented employee can or wants to take on a leadership role in the future. Besides the "vertical" career move towards management, a "horizontal" career path, such as becoming a "subject matter expert", can also be worthwhile.
The most suitable career path for a talent largely depends on the individual. The key question is: "How do I ensure the employee can fully realise their potential?" Someone strong in technical skills might not necessarily make a good manager—and vice versa. Avoid burning out talent by assuming you're doing them a favour by developing them but in fact stripping them of their strengths. In the end, both employer and employee benefit in this way.
What risks do I face as a company, and how should I address them?
Like any business decision, ED is not without risks. Besides the risk of developing talent in the "wrong direction", there's the chance you invest time and/or money into employee development, only for them to leave the company.
You'll never fully mitigate this risk—unless you do nothing (in which case they may leave sooner or later anyway). However, a holistic and well-thought-out ED approach helps with development and also with retention. And even if some employees leave, the positive impacts generally outweigh the negatives. And maybe a few remember and come back to your company with more experience in the future.
(Source: B4B-Schwaben)
