Employee Development Plans for Career Growth

Rejecting internal candidates without a clear development plan can be demoralizing and counterproductive. When an internal candidate takes the leap to interview for a new role, it’s not just about the position—they’re showing ambition, drive, and a desire to grow within the company. Let's use this momentum to support their career development. Here’s how we can make a positive impact: 1. Transparent Feedback ↳Provide detailed, constructive feedback. ↳Highlight their strengths and the areas they need to develop to be successful in future opportunities. 2. Personalized Development Plan ↳Collaborate with them to create a tailored development plan. ↳This could include training, mentorship, or project assignments that align with their career goals. 3. Regular Check-ins ↳Schedule periodic meetings to review progress, offer support, and adjust the plan as needed. ↳Celebrate their milestones and achievements along the way. 4. Encourage Continuous Learning ↳Recommend relevant courses, workshops, and resources. ↳Foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning. 5. Mentorship and Networking ↳Connect them with mentors and encourage them to build their network within the company. ↳These relationships can provide guidance, support, and new opportunities. Investing in our internal talent not only boosts morale but also strengthens our team and organization. Let’s commit to turning every "no" into a powerful stepping stone toward future success. By nurturing our internal candidates, we’re not just filling roles—we’re building resilient, engaged, and future-ready leaders. ♻️ Repost this if you agree ➕ Follow Anna Chernyshova for more posts like this

Most managers are bad at a critical part of their job... b/c most probably don't think it's their job. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭! It's something I frequently think about. And I hope anyone who has ever worked for me feels this. Here are some of the things I do to help develop my team. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 When someone joins the team, I send a Welcome Survey that covers work styles, professional development & personal interests. Questions include:  – What impact do you want to have at Crosschq? – What are you most excited to learn in your new role? – What are your career goals in the next 5 to 10 years? – List 3-5 professional skills that you'd like to develop in the next year. – What would make this job especially meaningful and enjoyable? DM me for my full survey. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤-𝐈𝐧𝐬 Different than a weekly 1:1, in this meeting, we take a step back to assess how things are going. I'll often pull up the welcome survey to guide the conversation, but it's a chance to ensure:  – They are getting what they need out of the job – The company is getting what it needs from them I'm asking questions like:  – Do you know what is expected of you? – Do you have what you need to be successful?  – Do you feel like your work is having an impact?  – Are you enjoying your work and the people you work with?  – Do you feel like you have the opportunity to do your best work? Then, we spend a chunk of time on career pathing so they know what’s needed to move to the next level. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 Any good manager knows they must give frequent feedback, but there's still value in more formal performance reviews. Feedback is something I try to weave into the culture by training my team on how to give & receive feedback. Personally, it's something I'm still working on. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 One of the most important things a leader must do is intentionally create their team culture. I believe this is separate (but strongly aligned with) the company culture. The best way to do that: values & operating principles. One of the core principles I always set is continuous learning and a growth mindset. Other things I think about for good career development: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Open comm ensures everyone feels comfortable discussing their aspirations, concerns & feedback. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Involve other stakeholders/depts to ensure that development plans are holistic and integrated into the broader org strategy. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 Eveyrone is unique. Personalize the plan to suit their specific needs & aspirations. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 Be open about the business's needs and how they align with individual growth paths, so expectations are clear on both sides. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Allow everyone the autonomy to make decisions regarding their career path, providing guidance and support as needed. What would you add? 

Career development discussions with direct reports on your Marketing Team shouldn't happen just once a year. Many companies have annual evaluation processes that incorporate both a look back at each employee's accomplishments in the preceding fiscal year and a look ahead to career goals in the coming year. But I would argue that a once-a-year look at your employees' career challenges and aspirations isn't often enough. When I worked at Northwestern Mutual, Patrick Stone had a best practice of setting a monthly meeting with each of his direct reports that focused around career development. I saw the wisdom of that and have since adopted it with my team members as well. Those team members I've had since I adopted this practice have universally appreciated having the conversation with me each month. Here are some tips on making these conversations successful that I gleaned from Patrick as well as some that I have compiled based on my own experience: -- Frame your Career Development discussions around annual Goals and Objectives: If your company's culture encourages the development of company, department, team, and individual Goals and Objectives (Gs & Os) each year, then be sure that you have created a set of Gs and Os for your team as a whole and yourself that support your department's and company's annual Gs and Os. Then, work with each individual direct report in having them create their annual Gs & Os. These will provide a backdrop for your monthly Career Development discussions with each team member. -- Schedule these Career Development discussions with each direct report every month: At the beginning of each calendar year, make sure you schedule a Career Development discussion with each direct report each month. These meetings typically can be 30 minutes. If you find that you need a longer amount of time any given month, you can either lengthen it for that month or schedule an additional discussion for that month. -- Make sure the conversation is focused on the employee and listen carefully: Begin the conversation by asking how the employee is doing and how they feel their role is going. Listen closely to how they answer. You also may have heard them say things or seen them do things since your last monthly Career Development conversation that may have tipped you off to how they're feeling or doing. Evaluate their response to your questions and ask deeper questions if needed. Make sure that your employee knows that they can share openly their feelings, frustrations, or excitement with their role but help them understand that you care about them and their development. -- Discuss progress on annual Gs & Os as needed: While you may already get a sense of your employee's progress on their annual Gs & Os through other, more tactical discussions with them, ask them how they are progressing. What other ideas do you have for regular career development discussions with your direct reports?

One of the greatest privileges a leader has is the ability to elevate those around them. Whether you are the leader of an entire function or just a few people, I believe there is no greater proof point to a leader’s impact than when their teams achieve their greatest potential. For many organizations, Thermo Fisher Scientific included, Q1 is highlighted by annual goal setting. But a priority for us throughout 2024 is to ensure career conversations are bigger than simply checking a box once a year. When I think about actively supporting the careers of my team and our HR function, a few strategies come to mind: - Check in often. Use regular 1:1s to assess progress and pivot where needed so the colleague feels they are continuing to progress toward their aspirations. - Use your tools. Many companies offer robust talent planning resources; use what is available to coach your team along the way. - Invest in your own development. Coaching others is a learned skill so do not assume you are always doing it right. - Champion the wins. Use your voice to shine a light on the success of others, fueling them to maintain the momentum. - Be the matchmaker. Keep an eye open for new projects or stretch opportunities based on the colleague’s aspirations. With ever-competing priorities, we all have room to grow when it comes to actively supporting careers. But when do this well, it is a win for everyone– for our companies, our teams and ourselves. #careerdevelopment #lifeatthermofisher

Here’s a simple but powerful idea that’s made all the difference in my journey. It’s about communicating - specifically, telling people about your plans and the path you want to take. I’ve learned never to be afraid or ashamed to express my ambitions openly. When you talk about your career goals to your employer, you invite them to join you on your professional journey, and in turn, they can become active participants in helping you get to where you want to be. Remember that this should always be a collaborative effort, keeping teamwork at the forefront instead of just making demands. Consider doing the following: Share Your Future Goals: Let them know where you want to be. Be transparent and set the bar. This will get you going on your way with a clear direction. Seek Guidance And Feedback: Ask what needs to happen and what milestones must be reached to achieve your goal. This shows that you’re eager and excited to grow and helps align your plan with the company’s vision. Pursue Continuous Improvement: If you ever find that you’re not yet ready for your goal, ask how to improve. Expressing this demonstrates your commitment and opens the door to honest feedback that challenges you to grow. It's about creating a roadmap together, so don't hesitate to communicate your aspirations openly. After all, growth is a collaborative effort, and by working together, you can easily bring your dreams to life. 

Five Ways to Keep Employees from Job Hunting Q. Hi Liz, I have a great team and I’m grateful for them. Several of our employees have been with us for 10 years or more. We have a big (although challenging) year coming up and I want to keep everyone happy and on board. Can you recommend some steps for me to take? A. Great question! Here are five steps to keep your employees feeling valued and on your team this year: 1. Boost Flexibility At the top of the list right after pay and benefits, employees value flexible work - meaning both their work hours and where the work gets done. If you value retention and engagement, now is the time to add flexibility to your employees’ schedules and embrace work from home as much as your business allows. 2. Add Visibility & Input These are scary times for a lot of working people. They wonder how their employer’s business is doing and whether their job is secure. Fill them in on your business results. Let them know what the year ahead looks like, what your challenges are, and how they can help reach your goals. Make it easy for them to have input into your plans. The old top-down management style doesn’t work anymore. You need all available brain cells, heart cells and good energy to get where you’re trying to go. 3. Honor Their Commitment Turnover is low in your shop, so you must be doing a lot of things right. Hats off to you! You want your teammates to stick around for the long haul, but if there were a downturn and you had to lay people off they might struggle to pay the rent next month. Honor their commitment to you by committing to them with a severance policy that pays at least a couple weeks of severance per year they’ve been with you. Your lawyer can draft simple agreements that make your severance policy a real commitment your employees can rely on. Taking this step will buy you more commitment and engagement than any pizza party, company outing or teambuilding event. If you want your employees focused, make sure they are covered if things don’t go as planned. 4. Define Career Paths Internal career growth has plummeted in large and small organizations - one reason many people change jobs every two or three years. Sadly, some organizations would rather keep high performing employees stuck in their roles than promote them into more responsible, higher paying jobs. That is short term thinking. To keep employees focused on the future, define career paths with them. Let them know that an entry-level customer support rep can grow with the company into an inside sales or marketing assistant job, and then to a marketing analyst or manager job. 5. When We Win, We All Win When you lay out the plan for 2024 and the challenges ahead, let everybody know that if you win, they win. That could mean chunky bonuses, stock options or something else folks will stick around for. Get creative. You need your team focused on the win, so make them part of it!

“If my people want to grow, they’ll speak up.” “If I keep my head down and work hard, my boss will notice.” Both are common assumptions — and both can lead to missed opportunities, unmet expectations, and frustrated teams. The truth? Most people aren't taught how to advocate for themselves at work. They don’t always know what they can ask for, and they may be worried about being seen as too ambitious, too demanding, or not loyal to their current role. So they keep their heads down, hoping someone will notice their potential. At the same time, many leaders are juggling too much. They’re not intentionally ignoring career development — but without clear signals from their team, it can easily fall off their radar. 💣 Growth and development don’t just happen. And it’s not something a leader or company can own alone. It’s a shared responsibility — and it starts with the employee. But leaders play a critical role. We have to create the space for real conversations — not just during performance reviews or when someone's struggling. * Ask your people what they’re interested in and where they want to grow. * Invite them to take on stretch opportunities. * Don’t assume you know what they want — co-create a growth and development plan with them. That's how you grow talent, build trust, and create teams that thrive — not just perform. And as employees, we need to take the lead on our own career development: * Get clear on what lights you up. * Don't wait to be tapped on the shoulder. * If you’re curious about a skill, a path, or a project — speak up. Your manager isn’t a mind-reader, and you don’t want to be passed over just because someone else raised their hand first. ✳️ Great leaders don’t build careers for people. They build them with people. ✳️ And great employees don’t expect growth to be handed to them. They take ownership — and invite others to help them get there. Who do you think owns growth and development — the employee, the leader, or the organization?

It's that time again. The dreaded annual performance review. Annual performance reviews are undeniably ineffective. (Yes, I’m an “HR person” putting a nail in the coffin of an activity that’s been our swan-song for eons….)    Survey after notable survey have reported that nearly every manager AND employee questioned believe that annual performance reviews weren’t effective or useful.    My friends, the traditional process is flawed.    Why?    First, the traditional review process focuses on the past rather than the future. This backward-looking conversation has shown to demotivate employees. (And, who really remembers what they did 11 months ago!? Raise your hand if you’ve reviewed your calendar from the past 12-months to remember what you did and accomplished? 🙋♀️)    So, how do you hold staff accountable while avoiding a cumbersome (and demoralizing) conversation?    Here’s the deal -    Employees prefer consistent, timely feedback to address roadblocks, receive recognition, and build a foundation of trust with their leaders. That’s why a less formal, more consistent approach to performance management benefits employee, team, and business success.    So, what should the process be?     1. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀  These informal meetings serve as an opportunity to recognize employees for their hard work, assess roadblocks, and coach performance. Regular one-on-ones help managers evaluate results as they come, not months later. That way, you can correct ineffective processes before they become a habit.    2. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗶𝗻𝘀  Quarterly checks are a great supplement to your one-on-one opportunities. These can be more formal.    3. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸  This enables both employees and managers to ask for feedback. Not only does this make employees feel like their opinions matter, but it gives managers the insight they need to improve the employee experience and grow as a leader. In addition, your employees will be more likely to accept feedback without hesitation when it goes both ways.    4. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀  Career development conversations help employees and managers align on the future. These conversations allow managers to recognize employee talent. When you show an employee that they are valued, you’ll be able to bring out their full potential.    The war for talent is real. It’s critical for leaders to establish a routine where expectations are clear, direct feedback is delivered real-time, and career development is actively supported.    How do you review your employees? And as an employee, how would you like to be reviewed?

🛑 Stop confusing performance management with career development. They aren't the same. Here's why... It's important for management and leadership to understand the value of their investments, and performance measurement tools can help with that. However, these tools aren't designed to assist employees in their personal growth and development. To promote a supportive work environment, we advise our clients to take a personalized approach to professional development, which involves open communication, active listening, and understanding the unique needs of each employee. Leaders should identify and provide the necessary resources for each employee's success, even if that means they graduate from the team or company. While individualized support can be challenging to scale, it's worth prioritizing. Instead of focusing on specific internal destinations, create a standardized professional development planning process and template and empower your employees to drive their careers forward. Good professional development plans provide clarity on the employees': 1️⃣ The Business: performance in current role, meeting the values of the company, and knowledge of business operations. 2️⃣ Behaviors: self-awareness of behaviors and what adaptations are needed to perform at their best. 3️⃣ Career: aspirational target role they hope to achieve in a few years and needed experience, learning, and mentorship to get there. 4️⃣ Life Goals: work-life integration wishes, interests/hobbies, and any major life milestones they're planning for. (Life-goals are always optional to share) By getting clear on your employees' skills, experience, potential, and output, you can gain clarity on their career paths. This helps both of you make informed decisions about promotion, compensation, and learning investments in the future. ⚡️ #humanresources #leadership #culture #career