Employers should encourage their employees to learn continuously in order to acquire broader and more relevant skills and qualifications to maximise their potential. Investment in employee development will not only benefit the staff themselves, but the employer will also enjoy great benefits in enhanced productivity and employee commitment.  Moreover, organisations that invest in employee development are also more likely to attract and retain the best employees.

Employee development is not limited to classroom training programmes.  It encompasses computer learning, job rotation, on-the-job training and different mechanisms to encourage self-learning.

Various employee development instruments & options

In-house training and external programmes

n            Before organising any training activities, as a good practice, employers should compare employees’ current competency proficiency with the expected proficiency level, so as to identify the most suitable intervention methodology to close the gap.  A simple guide to perform a training needs analysis is given in Appendix VI for reference.

n            Classroom training programmes could be provided to employees to enhance their skills proficiency and to align their mindset with the employer’s vision, mission and values.  It could be organised in-house or provided by external practitioners if internal resources are not available or the cost is not justified.

n            If external training service providers will be engaged, care should be taken to evaluate the vendor’s reputation in the concerned subject and in the market.

n            Training sponsorship in the form of reimbursement, direct payment and/or time off for attending courses could also be provided, where appropriate, to demonstrate an organisation’s commitment to fostering a skilled and talented workforce and to support continuous learning.

n            To evaluate and maximise the learning effectiveness, pre/post training evaluation mechanisms and post-training reinforcement mechanisms could be in place, e.g. action plans to allow participants to apply the learning at work, etc.

Self-learning mechanisms

n            Different self-learning mechanisms could be installed to provide greater flexibility for employees to learn at their own pace and time.

n            The most common self-learning mechanism is eLearning.  Employers could provide learning materials via a shared online platform for employees’ self study and exchange of ideas.  Many service providers also provide account-based eLearning services for organisations to use.  Employers could also consider establishing a mini-library to facilitate employees’ self-learning initiatives.

Succession planning schemes for key posts

n            Employee turnover and retirement may lead to loss of expertise within the organisation.  To ensure that natural employee turnover will not affect the smooth operation of the business, succession planning practices for key posts should be in place.

n            Besides retaining knowledge and skills, succession planning can also promote employee commitment and loyalty as it normally paves the way to internal promotion.

n            Some common practices in succession planning may include selecting high-potential employees to join some training and development schemes.  The training and development schemes could comprise on-the-job training by undertaking higher level of tasks, job shadowing with senior management, mentoring, dedicated training programmes and job rotation to different core functions in the organisation to widen employees’ exposure.