As human resources leaders, building talent development processes for employees is a crucial step for your organization to add value and remain competitive. Retaining talent is a top priority for any organization, and your team should hone in on specific strategies to achieve this goal. What skills are you contributing that could develop, nurture and retain talent in your own department? While it may seem easier to develop processes for other teams and more challenging to come up with solutions for your own, there are steps you can take to nurture the talented employees in your department. Below are some ideas that could help you continue to lead your team towards success and start the new year on a high note.
Invite them to lunch: Most employees enjoy a little TLC and extra attention. Take time to learn what is on their mind, including what they enjoy doing at work and what they’d like to gain some experience in. Conversations like these may help launch a few new ideas to further engage them and keep them interested in their work.
Include them in a meeting: Invite them to join you for a meeting with your boss or a senior executive. Letting them observe how you interact and including them in the conversation may broaden their perspective.
Involve them in a special project: Perhaps your team is interested in gaining exposure to executive compensation or talent management initiatives. Talk through who they can partner with and set realistic goals for them to reach. Ensure you set up a time to meet with them for updates and to measure their progress.
Attend webinars or conferences: Ask the team to research the kinds of seminars or conferences that appeal to them. After reviewing their research, ask them for their recommendations. If they do attend one, encourage them to report their findings to the team.
External benchmarking: To gain additional perspective, have employees visit other companies to learn how they navigated through the implementation of a new system or process. It is a good experience for them to prepare questions and then be able to synthesize the information so it is relevant to your organization.
Join a non-profit board: Joining a non-profit board can also be a valuable way to represent the company and the community. As an example, find out if they would be more interested in working on social service or arts and culture issues. Introduce them to a community non-profit that could resonate with their interests. They will meet other executives in the community and expand their network and knowledge, all while making a contribution that supports the mission of a non-profit.
Many of these activities will not cost a thing, but they will reap significant rewards in the short and long run. I hope some of the ideas above have influenced you to help your colleagues learn something new, gain exposure to innovative ideas and foster their excitement about their roles in the company.
