How To Grow Your Employees Even If You’re A Small Company

Everywhere we read, multiple research and statistics show how much employees immensely value career advancement and growth.

Based on a 2021 survey, it was found that "if an employer invests in employees' careers, 94% reported they would stay at the organization longer."

Despite all this urging research, career growth still poses a rare scene in many companies, especially small businesses. The combination of misconceptions, unstructured planning, and lack of creativity has often hindered the growth that most workers crave—even more so for small companies with limited positions and smaller budgets for promotions.

Luckily, there are a few ways to create professional progression opportunities, even if you're a small business or when promotions aren't possible. Upskilling and reskilling remain the key to employee growth. In return, your company stays competitive and innovative, and you're more likely to retain top performers.

#1 Add new tasks and responsibilities

Like it or not, your company will have a high turnover if your employees are not growing. Think about the time when your career has had you feel stagnated.

Doing repetitive work over and over again throughout the years can get highly tedious; chances are, employees will eventually outgrow their position and begin to look elsewhere. Challenges and new opportunities would help excite people - at least most of them. Therefore, providing new tasks and responsibilities should be considered annually as a form of career growth.

Based on a Clutch survey, 67% of workers "expect to experience more responsibility at their job each year, but only 46% were given more responsibility." Training employees for a new role and providing various tasks helps them grow professionally, even if their job title remains the same.

#2 Establish in-house learning & development

If you're looking for a way to build your team's leadership skills and develop better employee relationships within your company, one of the most effective ways to do this is to host in-house knowledge-sharing sessions. This could be done via workshops or even one-to-one sessions for employees requiring specific skills.

Offering opportunities for workers to volunteer and share what they've learned with other colleagues helps foster a growth-oriented culture and enables more effective communication between departments within the company.

You may also schedule weekly training sessions encompassing different topics - say every Friday - something employees can look forward to towards the end of the week.

#3 Collect feedback from employees

We cannot stress the importance of asking your employees what they want and need. It's often the most accurate and effective method for creating an effective employee advancement program.

Focus on getting feedback from your workers in one-on-one meetings or anonymous surveys about what they precisely want and expect when it comes to their professional growth.

This increases employee engagement and provides a more personalized solution to the requirements of the employees and the company.

#4 Provide non-linear career advancement opportunities

Not every worker wants or should move into a managerial role. Some may prefer exploring options in different departments or taking on new positions that match their talents, personality, or preferred work style.

Instead of opting for the conventional career ladders that may not be suitable, lateral career advancement opportunities can also empower employees in shaping their roles at your organization. You can leverage their unique abilities while contributing to the company's growth.

Here are some alternatives you may consider:

Job shadowing or rotation opportunities
Creating collaborative, cross-departmental teams
Offering access to job training that is not role-specific
Providing support through coaching or mentoring

#5 Evaluate potential barriers and strive to reduce them

Review your company as a whole and discover whether there are any barriers to career growth and advancement, such as:

Policies that need an exhaustive length of time in a position before a promotion is possible
The general idea is that promotions depend on whom you know vs how hard you work
Management that lacks mentoring and career pathing communication
No internal job posting system or updates
The lack of employee learning and development opportunities

#6 Communicate growth opportunities to your employees

It's important to keep the lines of communication open within the company. Once your new opportunities are outlined and developed, share the good news with your employees via company-wide updates or email. Also, constantly encourage your employees to give feedback about their job roles.

Why employers and employees should emphasize responsible screen time management?

Responsible screen time management is crucial for both employers and employees due to the following reasons:

Work-life balance: Excessive screen time can blur the boundaries between work and personal life, leading to burnout and increased employee stress levels. Employers can encourage a healthier work-life balance by promoting responsible screen time management, allowing employees to recharge and engage in activities outside of work.
Productivity and focus: Spending excessive time on screens, particularly on non-work-related activities, can significantly impact productivity. Constant distractions from social media, entertainment, or personal tasks can hamper employees' ability to concentrate on their responsibilities. Encouraging employees to manage their screen time effectively enables them to focus on their tasks and deliver high-quality work.
Mental and physical health: Prolonged screen time has been linked to various health issues, including eye strain, headaches, and musculoskeletal problems. Additionally, excessive screen use has been associated with poor sleep quality, increased anxiety, and reduced overall well-being. Employers are vested in promoting responsible screen time management to safeguard their employees' mental and physical health, ultimately leading to higher job satisfaction and lower absenteeism.
Workforce collaboration and communication: Over-reliance on screens can hinder face-to-face communication and interpersonal interactions within the workplace. Encouraging employees to limit their screen time promotes a culture of open communication, collaboration, and teamwork. Employers can enhance employee relationship-building, trust, and cooperation by reducing reliance on digital communication channels.

Read here for more understanding and practical tips on managing screen time effectively and fostering a healthier work-life balance.

Conclusion

Employee development is helping workers progress in their careers to continue contributing valuable and significant results to the company. By cultivating a culture focused on employee development, you are allowing your company to attract the best talent in the industry to join your team and, hopefully, stay for a very long time.

Visit the HR Library to acquire all relevant HR resources.
Contact here for more information on hiring employees.