8 Employee Development Methods: How to Keep Your Employees Happy, Motivated and Productive

Employee retention is a huge challenge for companies these days. It can be expensive and time-consuming to find, hire and train new employees. 
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That's why it's important to focus on employee development. By continuously developing your employees' skills, you can keep them happy, motivated and productive. 
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What is Employee Development? 

​​​​​​​Employee development, often referred to as professional development or staff development, is the process of assisting employees in becoming more informed, creative, and productive through training. It helps employees learn new skills, stay up to date on changes in their field, and increase their job satisfaction. 
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Why is Employee Development Important? 

​​​​​​​Developing your employees' skills can have a number of benefits for your business. Employee development can lead to a lower turnover rate, as employees are more likely to stay with a company that helps them grow and learn. It can also improve morale, as employees feel valued when their employer invests in their education. And finally, employee development can lead to increased productivity and creativity, as employees have the opportunity to learn new techniques and approaches. 

​​​​​​​Some key reasons to invest in employee development include:  

​​​​​​​Case Study: Facebook 

​​​​​​​Lori Goler is Facebook's vice president of people and recruiting. He was asked a few questions about Innovation and human capital in the context of a recent article in which he talked about some of Facebook's methods for keeping millennial workers motivated. He went on to describe some of Facebook's techniques for encouraging millennial employees to stay at the firm. 
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​​​​​​ Management Style
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​​​​​​​In most businesses across the world, managers are the only ones who may give instructions and orders to their workers. This is not the case with Facebook. At Facebook, workers are empowered to question and challenge managers' decisions, offer ideas, and devise their own solutions. Facebook dislikes a management approach in which all orders come from one end while employees are permitted to do things their way.
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Here are eight employee development methods that will keep your employees happy, motivated and productive:
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1. Offer training and development programs

2. Encourage employees to take on new challenges

3. Provide coaching and mentoring opportunities

4. Offer leadership development programs 

5. Encourage employees to pursue their passions

6. Allow employees to work from home

7. Give employees the opportunity to learn new skills
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8. Reward employee growth 
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Offering training and development programs

​​​​​​​Offering training and development programs is a great way to help employees develop new skills. These programs can be in-house or outside of the company. They can include courses, workshops, webinars and more.  
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Encouraging employees to take on new challenges

​​​​​​​Encouraging employees to take on new challenges is another great way to help them grow. This can include taking on new assignments or roles, learning new skills or attending training programs.
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​​​​​​​Providing coaching and mentoring opportunities

​​​​​​​Providing coaching and mentoring opportunities is a great way to help employees learn and grow. Coaching can be one-on-one or in a group. It can be done in person or online. Mentoring can also be one-on-one or in a group. It can involve shadowing, job rotation or reverse mentoring.
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Leadership development programs

​​​​​​​Leadership development programs are another great way to help employees grow. These programs can include courses, workshops, webinars and more. They can help employees learn new leadership skills and strategies.
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Encouraging employees to pursue their passions

​​​​​​​Encouraging employees to pursue their passions is a great way to help them stay motivated. This can include taking courses, attending workshops or participating in extracurricular activities.
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Allowing employees to work from home

​​​​​​​Allowing employees to work from home is a great way to help them balance their work and personal life. This can be done on a regular basis or as needed. 
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Giving employees the opportunity to learn new skills

Giving employees the opportunity to learn new skills is a great way to help them stay motivated and productive. This can include taking courses, attending workshops, webinars and more. 
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Rewarding employee growth

​​​​​​​Rewarding employee growth is a great way to show employees that you value their development. This can include giving bonuses, raises or promotions. It can also include giving awards or recognition. Thanking employees for their hard work is also a great way to show your appreciation. 

​​​​​​​By investing in employee development, you can keep your employees happy, motivated and productive. These eight methods are a great place to start. Try implementing one or two of these methods into your business today!

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