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As the new year begins, there’s no better time to prioritise employee growth and set the tone for success this year. Development plans are vital for aligning individual aspirations with organisational goals, ensuring every team member feels valued and equipped to thrive. Early-year development meetings can be the springboard for meaningful progress, providing clarity on expectations and paving clear growth plans. 

To make your development meetings meaningful, demonstrating your commitment to employee success, ensure that your conversations: 

  • Set clear expectations: Employees gain a clear understanding of their roles and objectives, and how their contributions impact broader company goals. 
  • Encourage engagement: Regular, personalised discussions foster a sense of belonging and purpose. 
  • Identify growth opportunities: By exploring career aspirations and skill gaps early, organisations can tailor training and development opportunities effectively. 

Getting a development conversation right can assist with boosting retention. This is because employees who see a commitment to their growth are more likely to stay with the organisation. 

You should also consider the following elements from the company’s perspective: 

  • What are the skills and technology that the company needs to stay competitive? 
  • What skills does the employee have and how can they use these to benefit the company? 
  • What does the employee enjoy doing and how can their interests align with the company’s needs? 
  • What information does the employee need about the company to understand their impact on and input for the company’s success? 

Consideration needs to also be given to the fact that different roles within an organisation will need to have tailored approaches for development planning, examples being: 

  • Leadership Roles: Leaders should have quarterly or bi-annual development meetings to ensure alignment to the company aims. Sessions should focus on honing strategic decision-making, emotional intelligence, and coaching skills. Leaders are also instrumental in cascading development initiatives to their terms. 
  • Specialist Roles: Employees in technical or specialised roles benefit from regular skill assessments and access to advanced training. Bi-annual meetings with touchpoints in between can ensure their expertise aligns with industry trends and business needs. 
  • Customer Facing Roles: Regular monthly or quarterly check-ins help these employees refine their communication and problem-solving skills. Such frequent discussions can address immediate challenges and reinforce customer-focused strategies. 
  • Entry-level roles: For those starting their careers, monthly development meetings provide consistent guidance and feedback, helping them build foundational skills and confidence in their roles (getting them up to speed quicker!). It can also help secure retention, they feel the investment! 

The frequency of development meetings should strike a balance between meaningful interaction and respecting employees’ time. They also need to be pragmatically timed to ensure that they take place! While leadership and specialist roles may only need in-depth sessions every six months, regular check-ins keep the momentum going. Entry-level and customer-facing roles often benefit from shorter, more frequent conversations to ensure steady progress.  

Ultimately, the key is consistency. A structured schedule with flexibility to adapt to individual needs ensures development remains a priority rather than an afterthought. 

Here are some practical tips to ensure that you are providing effective development meetings: 

  1. Prepare in Advance: Review past performance, set clear agendas, and gather relevant feedback before the meeting. 
  1. Listen Actively: Create a safe space for employees to share their goals, challenges, and ideas. 
  1. Set SMART goals: Align objectives with the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to ensure clarity and accountability. 
  1. Follow-up: Document action items and regularly check progress to maintain momentum. 

And the final tip: if you book them, hold them, there is nothing worse than them being shifted constantly! 

If your company needs support tuning your development plans and approach, speak to our experienced HR Consultancy team for support and experienced insight: hr@viewhr.co.uk