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The HR vice presidents from Advantage Waypoint, Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego, and Mitchell International on:

Continuous Development: How Human Resources Can Work with

Employees to Inspire Ongoing Personal and Professional Growth

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Advantage Waypoint LLC

Mamoon Syed Vice President, Human Resources

Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego

Jack Farnan Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitchell International

In an ideal world, every supervisor would start a performance review by asking: “How are you better today than you were a year ago?” And the employee would proudly share their new skills

and knowledge. The supervisor would also be interested in hearing about the employee’s personal growth not only because they know that it can contribute positively to job performance but because they are genuinely interested in the whole person. Unfortunately, in today’s busy world, these conversations don’t occur often enough — and when they do, it’s probably owing to HR’s efforts. This ExecBlueprint discusses how HR can help their organizations inject the importance of employee growth into their DNA. In addition to providing exam-ples of programs, the authors offer tips for “selling” such initiatives to leadership: Find an ally, learn how leaders’ personal interests have supported their own success, and weave that into the narrative. Finally, emphasize the key link between development and talent: top perform-ers will go — and stay — where the opportunities for professional and personal growth are richest. n

Action Points

I. What Are Key Considerations for Employee Development Programs?To stay current in today’s rapidly evolving technology and business climate, your company’s employees need to commit to a path of continuous development. While this may sound obvious, it is critical to support your employees’ pursuits of personal goals. If you don’t, you risk losing your top talent to companies that do.

II. The Bottom LineYour leaders may balk at the cost of employee development programs, but when companies begin competing fiercely for talent, their return on investment will become clear. Companies offering well-rounded programs that also support personal growth enjoy higher levels of productivity, performance, and retention.

III. Must-Have Employee Development Programs to Inspire Top PerformanceMost likely, you have a diverse workforce who need — and want — to acquire a variety of skills and knowledge. While tuition reimbursement degree and certification programs may represent the core of your offerings, you should also consider adding on classes that teach quick skills (such as computer applications) and healthy lifestyles (such as yoga).

IV. The Golden Rules for Selling Employee Development to Senior LeadershipMany of your organization’s leaders may wholeheartedly support investing in their employees’ desire to grow, but they are also responsible for returning profits. Before presenting a proposal, find out who your allies and detractors are, how their personal interests help them do their jobs, and what type of testimonial will be most inspirational.

V. Essential Take-AwaysNot only do great employers invest in the skills and knowledge employees need to do their jobs, they also demonstrate they value the development of the whole person by asking about personal goals and offering a variety of programs. The result? Employees who are more committed, engaged, and productive.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.2

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR . . . . . . . . . . p.3

Mamoon Syed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.6

Jack Farnan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.9

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points . . . p.12

© Books24x7, 2013 About the Authors ExecBlueprints 2

About the AuthorsWendy Harkness, Esq., SPHRSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Advantage Waypoint LLC

Mamoon SyedVice President, Human Resources, Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego

Jack FarnanSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitchell International

Wendy Harkness is the senior vice president of human resources at Advantage

Waypoint, the nation’s largest foodser-vice brokerage company, leading the company’s people strategy and human resources services. Formerly the chief people officer and chief legal officer at NRD Holdings (a multi-state, multi-brand franchise company), Ms. Harkness

has significant professional and practical human resources/legal experience.

For the last decade, she’s partnered with top foodservice brands including Popeyes, Domino’s, Checkers/Rally’s, Moe’s, Subway, and many more to ele-vate HR’s value and its impact on the bottom line. A recognized employee rela-tions expert and top HR professional, Ms. Harkness leverages her legal and

business knowledge with a hands-on approach to drive business results.

Since 2009, Mamoon Syed has served as vice president of human resources at Rady Children’s Hospital–San

Diego. In addition to ensuring the efficient and effective operation of the HR function, he is also responsible for leading Rady Children’s organiza-tional change strategy, as well as the operations of the occupational health, environmental services, and food services departments.

Mr. Syed’s experience includes posi-tions as project consultant at Fairview Hospital and Health Systems and an administrative fellow, benefits man-ager, and director of HR, education, and organizational development at Mercy Health System in Janesville, WI. Mr. Syed also played a key role at Mercy Health System in achieving the “#1 Best Place to Work” designation twice from AARP, Working Mother’s “100 Best

Companies” recognition, and the national Malcolm Baldrige Award in 2007.

Jack Farnan is currently senior vice president of human resources at Mitchell International, a leading

provider of information, workflow, and performance management solutions to the property and casualty claims and collision repair industries, where he man-ages the human resources, payroll, facil-ities, and physical security functions.

Prior to joining Mitchell, Mr. Farnan was vice president of human resources

at ComStream Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of satellite-based tele-communications systems for the interna-tional marketplace. Before that he was vice president of human resources at ORINCON, a research and development company specializing in digital signal processing, artificial intelligence, and neural networks.

Mr. Farnan serves on the Advisory Board of UCSD’s Rady School of

Management, and the Board of Directors for the Peninsula YMCA in San Diego and for a privately held financial soft-ware services corporation.

☛ Read Wendy’s insights on Page 3

☛ Read Mamoon’s insights on Page 6

☛ Read Jack’s insights on Page 9

© Books24x7, 2013 Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR ExecBlueprints 3

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHRSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Advantage Waypoint LLC

Encouraging Personal GrowthHigh performers are predictably committed to both their profes-sional and personal growth. These highly coveted employees “get it.” They fundamentally understand that they are at least as responsible for their success as their employer is.

While most companies ardently seek these self-starters, not all com-panies do enough to encourage them in their quest for personal growth. Too many companies fail to recognize the link between per-sonal development and professional growth and the types of employees that require an outlet for both. In the worst cases, some companies even go so far as de-motivating these star employees by getting in the way of their personal growth.

Having policies in place to foster personal development is one way to elevate good employees to great employees. So, how can companies aid employees in their personal missions?

Importance of Personal DevelopmentIndustrious employees committed to continual learning and self-improvement actively seek employ-ers that offer education benefits for personal development classes or programs. The fact is that the types of employees who are inter-ested in furthering themselves per-sonally and/or professionally are often in the driver’s seat in choos-ing their employer. Accordingly, employers that openly support their efforts will have an edge in talent acquisition.

Although personal development may sometimes include furthering one’s education (in both the tradi-tional and nontraditional sense), more narrowly, it includes learning or honing a specific skill or activity. The trouble is that organizations can have a tendency to discount employees’ interests when no obvi-ous connection exists between them and their function within the com-pany. Failing to appreciate the peripheral benefits of personal development is a big mistake for many employers. Companies that

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHRSenior Vice President, Human Resources

Advantage Waypoint LLC

“Every company says they want the best talent available, but companies that commit to employees’ personal and professional development show that they do.”

• Leads the company’s people strategy

• Previously chief people officer and chief legal officer, NRD Holdings

• Bachelor’s degree, Human Resources Management, St. Leo University

• J.D., Stetson University College of Law

Ms. Harkness can be e-mailed at wendy.harkness@execblueprints.com

© Books24x7, 2013 Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR ExecBlueprints 4

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHRSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Advantage Waypoint LLC (continued)

miss this concept may well send star performers or candidates to the competition where they will signifi-cantly contribute to the other person’s bottom line. Progressive employers invest in supporting employees’ per-sonal pursuits, knowing that they will reap the rewards of employing these well-rounded, hyper-curious, and ultimately loyal employees.

Benefits and Support for Personal DevelopmentFunding or supporting personal development is separate and dis-tinct from traditional tuition assis-tance-type programs and even a small budget dedicated to assisting personal growth can go a long way. Many tangible benefits exist for companies willing to invest in all types of development, even when the development is not directly related to an employee’s job. Consider the graphic below:

It is clear from these examples that the employees’ pursuit of their respective personal goals has obvi-ous benefits for their employers. With a nominal investment in each example, the employer can show their commitment to helping their employees achieve more.

Working with Senior Leadership to Cultivate Employee Development ProgramsHuman resources is likely in the best position to guide the organiza-tion’s leaders to consider and ultimately commit to employee development programs. To consis-tently gain buy-in, most skilled HR leaders have perfected their pitches to lead with the expected return on investment. However, when it comes to development, it may be worth slightly altering that

approach. While ROI has to be there, people development evokes more emotion than just numbers, so at times it may also be wise to strategically tug some heart strings.

The executive team knows their role. They are responsible for maximizing shareholder value, whoever the shareholders are. The executives are also human and there is something to be said for making them feel good about part-ing with the organization’s hard-earned dollars to fund an intrinsically human desire to learn and grow. Consider presenting a short, compelling video or testi-monial to kick off your pitch that showcases that part of the human spirit that has the will and desire to learn. But resist the urge to dive too deeply or to let it drag on too long. Instead, try for some-thing under two minutes. Set it up so the company leaders know they have an opportunity to do some “good” and create value within the company. Then, proceed promptly to succinctly outline the program and get to the numbers.

Too many companies fail to recognize the link between personal development and professional growth and the types of employees that require an outlet for both.

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR

Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Advantage Waypoint LLC

© Books24x7, 2013 Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHR ExecBlueprints 5

Wendy Harkness, Esq., SPHRSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Advantage Waypoint LLC (continued)

Proposing a Comprehensive Employee Development ProgramPrior to pitching any program to the executive team, it is useful to find a sponsor, i.e., someone who believes in employee develop-ment and will lend executive sup-port in the meeting. Ideally, the sponsor will openly endorse the idea at the meeting. Getting others involved will increase the chances of successfully gaining pro-gram support and funding.

Additionally, ask around and find out what type of personal interests the decision makers have that are not obviously related to their roles. Think about how their respective personal interests help them in their positions (like in the examples above) and how that information relates to the proposed employee development program. If possible and appropriate, weave the information into the pitch.

It is also important to consider the views and influence of any detractors who may not support employee development or who believe that it is a waste of money. That may seem unlikely, but it is smart to anticipate the possibility of potential detractors before any-one publicly objects to the idea and consider ways to overcome any likely objections or, at least, neutralize possible concerns.

A common objection you may encounter is cost (or more accu-rately stated, ROI). Decision

makers are concerned about invest-ing hard dollars into development only to have employees leave right after the company has poured resources into their development. If you hear this reasoning, the ques-tion to ask the decision makers is what happens if they fail to develop their employees and they stay? No one wants a stagnant workforce.

Importance of Employee Development and Company EvolutionToday, it is impossible to escape the HR mantra that talent is the great differentiator; it simply is. Regrettably, the demand for talent continues to mount, but the supply continues to wane.

Even though our world continues to advance technologically, there’s still no escaping the need for top-notch talent. While technological innovations continue to make companies less reliant on the human function, people are still at the core of those innovations. So, for as long as we humans are running things (including invent-ing and programming our robotic replacements), we must continue to learn and grow, push ourselves, and evolve.

Companies must evolve, too. To attract those coveted high- performers and high-potentials, companies must recruit and re-recruit every day with development in mind. The companies that do it best will win. n

Communicating Development Program Availability to Employees

Once an employee development program is approved and developed, commu-nicate it internally. A formal communication strategy should be part of every HR roll out. Following the simple Get-To-By communication plan provided below will help promote a successful implementation:

© Books24x7, 2013 Mamoon Syed ExecBlueprints 6

Mamoon SyedVice President, Human Resources, Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego

A Culture of Continuous LearningIt is very important to us to con-tinuously enhance an organiza-tional culture that supports and encourages professional growth. As a leading pediatric academic medi-cal center, education and develop-ment — both professional and clinical — is an important part of our success.

We have tuition reimbursement and education assistance policies and have identified competencies and certifications that can support progression within or outside the specialty area of one’s career. Pro-viding financial support to staff who are interested in developing their careers is important. What is equally important is that we have an orga-nizational culture that not only supports, but encourages, staff to evaluate and pursue career develop-ment aspirations. An essential part of fostering this culture is to work with our leaders in providing them the tools and skills to work with their employees to identify possible career development goals, what it will take to achieve those goals, and to determine how best to monitor and support success.

To ensure all staff have the opportunity to consider their per-sonal and professional development goals, we have built these concepts into our annual performance evalu-ations. This ensures that crucial

conversations around continuous development are happening across the organization.

Our performance appraisals consist of a merit-based system in which staff are rewarded propor-tionately on how well they perform on expectations. Identifying and accomplishing personal and profes-sional goals are essential parts of performance expectations. Because we believe in supporting staff to continuously develop, we reward them financially for doing so.

The [Career] Path Less TakenIt is not uncommon in the health care industry for clinical staff to receive career-progression opportu-nities because there is a strong industry-wide culture around con-versations, expectations, certifica-tions, and development aspirations for clinicians.

What is far less common (and hence our challenge) is to establish career progression opportunities for business and support function employees. However, we have been working with leaders of non- clinical employees to help them begin career development conversa-tions with the staff. Additionally, we have started to develop formal educational and shadowing pro-grams to help staff evaluate and prepare to transition their careers to another area of expertise. This

supplements our educational and shadowing programs for staff who are interested in evaluating and preparing for future leadership advancement opportunities.

Our environmental services department has scored some of the biggest successes in this area. Here, department leadership has worked closely to help staff recognize that they have opportunities for growth within as well as outside of the EVS

Mamoon SyedVice President, Human Resources

Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego

“Our commitment to innovation, anchored in continuous development, is not only for clinicians. Our commitment is to extend that to all staff, including business and support professionals.”

• With company since 2009

• Responsible for organizational change strategy

• Previous HR leadership positions at Fairview Hospital and Health Systems and Mercy Health System

• B.A., Mass Communication; Master’s degree, Health Care Administration, University of Minnesota

Mr. Syed can be e-mailed at mamoon.syed@execblueprints.com

One of the most important ways an organization can support staff’s career growth aspirations is to have a culture that supports flexible work schedules.

Mamoon Syed

Vice President, Human Resources Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego

© Books24x7, 2013 Mamoon Syed ExecBlueprints 7

Mamoon SyedVice President, Human Resources, Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego (continued)

department. Currently, approxi-mately one out of every five staff members transitions out of EVS to another department in the organization.

Tuition Reimbursement Plans and Flexibility to Take CoursesOur tuition reimbursement pro-gram consists of two parts: one reimburses staff for pursuing edu-cational aspirations through an accredited institution; the second reimburses staff for securing or renewing required licensures and certifications. Through our pro-gram, we are able to support staff both in maintaining the competen-cies needed for their current job while also supporting career aspira-tion goals that may require additional education.

However, one of the most impor-tant ways an organization can support staff’s career growth aspi-rations is to have a culture that supports flexible work schedules. We support leaders in working with staff to create that flexibility. Flexibility comes in the form of reassigning shifts and days, and changing FTE (full-time equivalent) status. All these, and others, become options for consideration as long as the department’s business needs and patient care expectations are met.

Onsite Clinical Training and Leadership Development ProgramsWe also provide onsite training, such as CPR training, for our clinical staff. Our staff develop-ment department offers this onsite training and also works with local

colleges and universities to make this training available in the com-munity for all of our employees. Finally, we work with educational institutions in the community to bring local students onsite to fulfill their clinical rounds obligations.

Over the last few years we have built a robust leadership develop-ment program onsite as well. I am a firm believer in in-sourcing versus outsourcing when it makes sense. We have developed a team that has provided multiple layers of entry-level leadership training and basic and higher-level leadership competencies. We have built a com-prehensive leadership development program: BOLD (Building Organi-zational Leadership Development), which includes an orientation and

mentoring programs for new lead-ers, as well as a core leadership competencies certification pro-gram. We have what we call our “leadership sprints” where we provide instruction on how to use specific in-house leadership pro-cesses along with systems, processes, policies, and procedures. These systems are built specifically to ensure that leaders know how to effectively use them. We also offer our Leadership Academy which takes approximately 25 peo-ple through a year-long educational program. In the academy we focus on the most important leadership skills and competencies at a deep professional and personal level. As part of our leadership development offerings, we also engage our

Microsoft Office Suite classes

Conversational Spanish

Healthy cooking classes

Yoga classes

Walking groups

Other wellness initiatives

Enhancing Employee Development Through Onsite Personal Growth Courses

© Books24x7, 2013 Mamoon Syed ExecBlueprints 8

Mamoon SyedVice President, Human Resources, Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego (continued)

executive team to role-model expected behaviors.

Increasing Employee Awareness of Available OpportunitiesEnsuring our employees are aware of these opportunities is a constant challenge. We post flyers and post-ers, send e-mails, and publicize all of our opportunities on our web-sites. We discuss these opportuni-ties with our leadership teams during bi-weekly leadership meet-ings so that leaders can share this information with their staff mem-bers during their department meetings. In addition, employee groups within departments across the organization attend regularly scheduled meetings and, as “ambas-sadors,” communicate the avail-ability of these programs to their fellow employees. You can never over-communicate what is impor-tant to you.

Return on Investment for Employee Development ProgramsWe measure the return on invest-ment for employee development

programs in multiple ways and report both financial and business results. We measure how much money we invest in staff training and development as well as how many hours of education per FTE our investments and programs yielded during the year. Additional business results include internal promotion rates into leadership, internal transfer/fill rates, and transfers to alternative careers. These metrics, we believe, provide strong indicators of the extent to which employees are developing their careers. We have approxi-mately a 65 percent internal promotion rate.

We believe that employees will stay with an organization when they see themselves growing and developing. At Rady Children’s,

our tenure rate is high. Every year we celebrate dozens of staff with at least 30 years of service. With an average tenure rate higher than the health care industry norm, we can see the results of our programs. If you sit down and talk to employ-ees, you realize that there are many considerations that factor into their decision to stay with us for that many years — and growth oppor-tunities are an important part of that assessment. While develop-ment may not be the only reason that people stay, it is a very impor-tant one. n

Inclusion of Softer Skills in Performance Reviews

As a pediatric hospital where we are helping children get better and saving lives, technical and clinical mastery is at the core of our appraisal. Additionally, we believe interpersonal skills are also critical in ensuring a culture that provides a great experience to patients, families, and fellow employees as well as our nation-ally renowned quality outcomes. As a result, we have standardized key behavioral and interpersonal competencies across the organization. No matter what section of the organization you work in, part of the performance evaluation assesses your soft competencies in three categories: quality of service to customers, quality of inter-action with fellow co-workers, and quality of ambassadorship to our community.

© Books24x7, 2013 Jack Farnan ExecBlueprints 9

Jack FarnanSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitchell International

Importance of Personal and Professional GrowthEmployee growth and development is a critical factor in the success of any corporation. Regardless of how smart or skilled your employee population is, with the rapid rate of change in technology along with changing customer expectations, unless your employees are improv-ing their personal skill sets, they will be left behind — and so will your company.

Core BeliefsAt Mitchell International, we understand that every single employee is important to our mis-sion of delivering outstanding products and services to our cus-tomers when their customers have experienced a challenging event in their lives. It is therefore of para-mount importance that every one

of our associates is continually growing professionally and person-ally to optimize their potential.

To ensure this happens, we have tried to inject the concept of per-sonal growth into our DNA. One of our core beliefs is “Always Improving”; as such, it is one of the cornerstones of our culture. Before anyone is hired into Mitchell, they must write an essay focused on each of our core beliefs. Each essay is read by the talent acquisition recruiter, the hiring manager, the senior vice president of human resources, and the chief executive officer. In this way, we know before we even hire someone how they feel about personal growth and devel-opment and how this interest has already manifested in their lives. We are convinced that this practice of selecting people who have a track record of personal growth gives us a competitive edge. A Culture of Performance

ObjectivesOnce aboard, the employee quickly sees why personal growth is so important. Since we have a perfor-mance-driven culture, it is the high performers and those who push themselves to excel who move quickly through and across the organization. Within their first 30 days of employment, every employee is required to develop their performance objectives, and

Jack FarnanSenior Vice President, Human Resources

Mitchell International

“The strategy that Mitchell has used to inspire ongoing and continuous personal development is to weave the concept of ‘Always Improving’ into the fabric of the organization.”

• Previous HR leadership positions at ComStream Corporation and ORINCON

• “HR Professional of the Year” Award in San Diego in 2008

• “Human Resources Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2009

• Bachelor’s degree, English, University of Dayton

• Master’s degree, Wright State University

Mr. Farnan can be e-mailed at jack.farnan@execblueprints.com

When you truly care about an individual’s growth and development, you have a parochial interest in wanting them to blossom within the confines of your business. But their growth, wherever it may be, is ultimately the most important consideration.

Jack Farnan

Senior Vice President, Human Resources Mitchell International

Offering In-House Employee Training: An Example

Public speaking was a skill that many employees in our company were wrestling with. It is, in fact, an area where many people, across industries, struggle. To help our employees develop this skill, we didn’t just recommend a class, but instead initiated an on-site Toastmasters program for all interested employees.

The results were outstanding. We filled the conference room each week, and are now starting a Toastmasters program at another facility. The need was there; the desire to improve was there. All that was needed was the corporate com-mitment to growing each person in the areas in which they needed to grow. We have made that commitment and employees can readily see it.

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Jack FarnanSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitchell International (continued)

a new hire survey is sent out to each person to specifically ask whether they have received their objectives. If the answer is no, a note goes out to the hiring man-ager, as well as the general manager of the division. This sends a clear message to the new employee, as well as management, that setting performance objectives is critical to success.

The company’s culture of one-on-one weekly or bi-weekly meetings also enables the manager and employee to stay aware of project timelines, resources needed, or looming problems. These meet-ings also ensure that the mid-year performance review will seldom include any surprises since the employee and manager have been having regular feedback sessions. The mid-year performance review in turn ensures that the end-of-year performance review is simply a pro forma document that consolidates all of the dialogue that has trans-pired throughout the year relative to the individual’s growth and performance.

Supporting Employee GrowthThe CEO often starts my own per-sonal performance review simply by asking “How are you better today than you were a year ago?”

This is the essence of employee growth. Every part of your corpo-rate culture needs to support personal growth and development. That is why we offer 100 percent tuition reimbursement (including 100 percent textbook reimburse-ment) for employees wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree or a grad-uate-level degree. We want our employees to grow and develop in

ways that will support their life’s goals. If our employees are success-ful, the company will be successful.

Career Development ProgramTo further support employee growth, we have just developed an employee career development pro-gram that is currently being rolled out across the corporation. This program will enable all employees to establish, in conjunction with their managers, a comprehensive blueprint for their career growth, hopefully within Mitchell, but pos-sibly even outside of the company.

When you truly care about an indi-vidual’s growth and development, you have a parochial interest in wanting them to blossom within the confines of your business. But their growth, wherever it may be, is ulti-mately the most important consid-eration. With that mindset, employees know that you have their best interests in mind and they will respond with commitment and engagement.

Leadership DevelopmentThe final component to inspiring ongoing employee career growth is ensuring that all members of the leadership team are in alignment

Committing to a Culture of “Always Improving”: Mitchell’s Key Development Practices and Policies

Asking candidates to share in an essay how they have embraced personal growth and development in their lives

Within the first 30 days of employment, requiring every employee to develop and share performance objectives

Holding one-on-one weekly or bi-weekly meetings between managers and employees to track progress on goals and identify problems

Discussing performance accomplishments during mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews

Offering 100 percent tuition reimbursement (including 100 percent textbook reimbursement) for employees wishing to further their education

Providing employee and leadership career development programs

© Books24x7, 2013 Jack Farnan ExecBlueprints 11

Jack FarnanSenior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitchell International (continued)

with this philosophy. We do this through our leadership develop-ment program, “Leading the Mitchell Way.” This week-long developmental program is provided to all managers so that they can be aligned with the corporate culture, i.e., “Always Improving.” Investing in the leadership team not only improves their skills and positions them for success but it also sends a signal to the rest of the organiza-tion that continual personal improvement at every level is

important. Even executives within the company must continually upgrade existing skills and gain new ones if they are going to be successful in the demanding corpo-rate environments in which we all live.

Weaving “Always Improving” into the Fabric of an OrganizationThere is not any one program or action that a company can take

that will be successful in fostering growth and development. Instead, if you include those goals among the values or beliefs of your orga-nization, you will be able to instill that mindset into the hearts and minds of your employees. Ultimately, the goal is to send them on the absolute best journey that they could possibly embark — a life-long journey of personal growth and development. n

© Books24x7, 2013 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 12

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points I. What Are Key Considerations for Employee Development Programs?Every company says they want the best talent available, but companies that commit to employees’ professional and personal devel-opment show that they do. To attract top talent, companies need to resist the tendency to discount employees’ interests that are not obviously connected to their job and address the following when putting development programs and policies into place:

• What skills and competencies do you need to grow in your organization?

• What types of certifications do your employees need to continue to update?

• How can the company identify and attract self-starters who prioritize personal and professional development for the sake of themselves and their companies?

• How can employees be encouraged to pursue personal growth activities?

• How can HR convince leadership that employees’ pursuit of personal goals can directly benefit the organization?

• How can the company encourage development among employee groups that typically do not receive such opportunities?

II. The Bottom LineA common objection to offering employee development programs is cost — and the concern that employees will leave immedi-ately after companies have poured resources into their development. However, your leader-ship should also consider the cost of retaining a stagnant workforce. Meanwhile, even a small budget dedicated to assisting personal growth can go a long way. In order to grasp the “big picture” of the costs versus benefits of growing the knowledge and skills of your employees, ask:

• In what ways will development programs enable superior job performance and productivity?

• How will they drive your internal promotion rate?

• How will they improve employee retention?

• Overall, how will such programs contribute to a positive workplace culture of continuous improvement and high employee engagement?

III. Must-Have Employee Development Programs to Inspire Top PerformanceThere are many ways to satisfy your employ-ees’ need and desire to learn — and they do not all involve tuition-reimbursement or degree programs, though these should prob-ably be included among the options. However, to ensure that you motivate all types, ages, and skill levels of learners, you should also consider offering at least some of the following:

• Certification and licensure programs to meet the requirements of specific relevant specialty areas

• Computer application classes (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite)

• Language classes

• Public speaking classes

• Affinity groups

• Corporate libraries

• Industry organization memberships

• Wellness offerings, such as healthy cooking, yoga, and walking groups

• Career development programs

• Leadership development programs, academies, and mentoring for current and potential leaders

IV. The Golden Rules for Selling Employee Development to Senior LeadershipWhile your HR department is probably in the best position to advise the organization’s lead-ers regarding the organization’s need for tal-ent development, the final decisions about actual programs and policies will, most likely, be theirs. To help ensure that your employee development proposals receive the attention they deserve, effective approaches include:

• Finding a sponsor to openly endorse your ideas at leadership meetings

• Learning the decision makers’ personal interests, and how these interests have helped them perform their jobs — and using this information to personalize your pitch

• Proactively anticipating the source and nature of resistance you may receive and considering ways to overcome or neutralize it

• Beginning presentations with short testimonials that highlight people’s innate desire to learn

• Succinctly outlining the program objectives, characteristics, and costs

V. Essential Take-AwaysGreat employers truly want their employees to grow and develop in ways that will support their life’s goals and enable them to be suc-cessful, even if that path eventually leads to roles outside of the company. When you can cultivate that mindset in the company culture, employees will know you have their best interests in mind and will respond with com-mitment and engagement. You can accom-plish this by encouraging your managers and leaders to…:

• Show an interest in employees’ professional and personal development by asking about personal goals.

• Work with employees to identify possible career development goals, and what it will take to achieve those goals.

• Emphasize the importance of personal development activities by including them in performance appraisals of all staff, even those in positions that don’t require continuous learning.

• When possible, support flexible work schedules to enable employees to take advantage of learning opportunities.

• Use the most effective channels (e.g., e-mail, websites, posters, employee champions) for communicating all development opportunities.

• Recognize behaviors that (perhaps) unwittingly sabotage employee efforts toward personal development.

And by developing programs that…:

• Also provide affinity groups, corporate libraries, memberships, and competency-based development opportunities.

• Offer multiple program options to ensure maximum participation from your diverse workforce.

• Aim to improve the skills of the leadership team. n

© Books24x7, 2013 Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points ExecBlueprints 13

Ideas to Build Upon & Action Points (continued)

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10 Key Questions and discussion Points

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1 At present, what policies does your company have in place to encourage professional growth? Do you actively work to prepare employees for advancement? Do you rotate assignments or teams to give employees exposure to different parts of the company?

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How often do your employees go through a formal performance review process? Do they receive feedback from anyone besides their direct manager? Are there processes in place for more frequent, informal reviews or check-ins?

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Are employees incentivized in any way to pursue education or certification relevant to their job outside of the workplace? Do you subsidize classes/certifications? How do you evaluate whether an employee’s educational pursuits will be valuable to your company?

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Do you offer any on-site training or professional development activities? If so, what programs are offered? Which employees are eligible to participate?

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Does your company have any policies in place to encourage the personal growth of employees? Do you offer education benefits for classes or programs that may not be directly applicable to the employee’s position?

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How does the HR department work with senior leadership to create and implement employee development programs? Who else is involved in creating these programs? What sort of buy-in is required from the senior team?

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How do you benchmark the efficacy of your employee development activities? How do you measure their popularity among employees? How can you measure intangible benefits?

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What are your best practices for communicating with employees about personal and professional development opportunities? How do you encourage employee participation? How do you encourage employee feedback about development programs?

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In the next 12 months, do you plan to implement any new employee development programs? Will any of these programs be geared toward professional development? Will any of these programs be geared toward personal development?

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In the next 12 months, what are the greatest challenges you will face in implementing and expanding employee development programs? Do you anticipate increased costs and/or reduced budget? Will you have challenges getting company buy-in?

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