Making a Case for Employee Development

1. Making a Case for Employee Development Gayle Simon Walden University Dr. Judith Pochran EIDT-6501-01 Training and Development June 22, 2014

2. What Employee Development is for the Organization • Employee Development is the process organizations take for their employees that allows them to grow in skills, knowledge, and abilities so they are able to perform their positions at their optimum best. • Employee Development is the process that prepares employees for future positions that are of interest to them, well suited for their strengths and talents, and are important to the organization and its strategic objectives for success and longevity. • Employee Development is the process that allows employees to align their career goals with that of the organization, so both parties are able to benefit and grow.

3. The Benefits of Employee Development for the Organization

4. Employee Development Initiatives Important to the Organization • Formal Education Programs for the employees, where employees are able to gain knowledge and skills they can use immediately in their positions and/or prepare them to use in future positions. The programs can be short courses or degree specific. They can be presented in-house or at an outside, authorized university, college, or accredited educational facility. • Job Rotations provides employees the opportunity to take a series of job assignments in other departments where they are able to stretch their present skills, learn new skills, and apply their skills and knowledge in new ways (Noe, 2013). Employees increase expertise to perform various positions, problem-solve, and make decisions. They also a greater appreciation and understanding of the organization and its departments. • Mentoring Programs provide less experienced employees the opportunity to learn and gain expertise from experienced/senior employees that serve as mentors or mentor groups matched specially for them. Important purposes of mentoring programs are they aid in socializing new or less experienced employees, provide opportunities for minorities and women to share experiences, and gain exposure and skills to advance into new positions (Noe, 2013).

5. A Way to Unleash Positivity in the Organization • Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) is a “broad framework that seeks to explain behaviors inside and outside of the organization (Pace, 2010). POS focuses on bringing out the positive aspects of all individuals in the organization, so they are able to work and function at their optimum best. POS builds strength and virtue in organizational individuals and the organization, as a whole. • Reflected best-self and abundance gaps is a major tenet for POS. Reflected best-self feedback exercises are ways the organization can unlock the employees’ best talents, strengths, and abilities. Feedback focuses on the things each employee does well and not their weaknesses. As a result, employees are able to picture themselves at their optimum best, mimic those behaviors in the work they do, and continue to perform their work in ways that are stronger and better than they ever have. Strength-building on abundance gaps for the organization, emphasizes the dynamics that brings out the organizations excellence and creates committed, satisfied clients.

6. The Final Points on Employee Development

7. References • Noe, R. A. (2013). Employee training and development (6th ed.). (pp. 367, 381). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. • Pace, A. (2010). Unleashing positivity in the workplace. Training and Development, 64(1), 40-44. Retrieved from the Academic Research Complete database http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e3d8ca50-41f4-4d16-923d-a0a86cc09967%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=112