The employer needs to drive both older and newer employees to guarantee the success of their business. Such motivation ideally should not only work to guarantee the progression of the company but also the progression of the individual employee.
In a piece over at the Huffington Post, Heather Huhman even takes a bold stance relating the state of the economy to the finer points of such employee development.
“If more employers would begin placing a greater focus on hiring and retention efforts, company culture, and overall employee happiness — not just their bottom line — we may see the positive effects have an impact on the economy.”
Citing a Northeastern University study, Huhman bluntly argues for appropriate and relevant salaries. She points out that in the first nine months of economic recovery after the initial impacts of the most recent recession, corporate profits have hit $388 billion (pretax) yet salaries only rose by $68 billion. “So, the share going to corporate profits received 85 percent.” Huhman reveals, to what should come as an incredibly startling number to both employees and employers alike, that for the last four recoveries since 1980 “the share going to corporate profits averaged 19 percent.”
In addition to calling for such practical and expected compensation to drive employees, Huhman makes a case for additional “professional development.” Such development can come in a variety of forrms, but includes such activities as webinars or workshops.
Taking the time to remove employees from their daily routine and giving them a chance to listen to a business expert speak or develop better ways to understand particular business concepts yields benefits all around.
In giving employees something different to experience while on the clock, whether it be a webinar or professional field trip, shows employees that you are genuinely interested in their professional development rather than purely the progression of your company.
In involving your team in skills training and so on, you are making an investment in your employees and they will recognize their value. And what are they going to do with this enhanced business skill? Contribute even more to the success of your business.
How do you contribute to your employees’ success?