What is professional development?
"It's very future focused learning; what you need for future roles or what the organisation will require of you in the future. About 70% of professional development should be on the job - stretch assignments, job rotations, secondments, project work; anything that takes you outside your everyday role and requires you to learn something new. About 20% is learning from relationships - mentoring and coaching, 360-degree feedback and networking, where you are learning in a one-on-one arrangement and have opportunities for reflection. Then about 10% comes from formal courses, qualifications and accreditations."
Why is it important to an employee?
"When provided by the employer, it makes the employee feel valued. The investment also helps them to understand their place in the organisation. Learning more about their chosen field invites a sense of personal mastery, which is an important part of employee wellbeing, inspiring a sense of belonging and engagement. It gives the individual opportunities for advancement and promotion, which can lead to increased earning potential in the future."
And the employer?
"Most employers would see the quality of work improve and better efficiencies, or at least a move towards best practice and continuous improvement. Staff are more committed and engaged, and the more engaged staff feel, the more likely they are to hang around. Developing staff for the future also allows employers to plan their future workforce."
How do employers measure the value of their investment in professional development?
"It's not easily quantifiable. Employers might look at reporting on staff movements - what programs staff have been involved in, promotions they have enjoyed, secondments in more senior roles."
What obligation does the employer have to provide professional development?
"The employer has an obligation to provide training to ensure the employee has the necessary skills to do their job and less of an obligation around more future-focussed professional development. However, many job advertisements now list the development opportunities available, along with the salary and super entitlements, promoting it as a point of difference."
How do you have a conversation about professional development with your employer?
"In some organisations, learning and development plans are part of annual reviews. Find out what study leave policies or funding for development your employer provides. Then go in to a conversation prepared, with information on what the development costs and benefits will be. If more formal opportunities are available, then it's important to align what you would like to do with the organisation's strategic plan or direction."
How much should you be prepared to contribute yourself?
"If you genuinely feel the professional development will be valuable to your role and the organisation, then go in with the intention of justifying the expense for the employer. If that fails and it's something you are really dedicated to, then paying for it yourself is an option. It can give you leverage to ask for more development in the future, or a pay rise if you have increased your skills and knowledge and are implementing them in your daily work."
Should employees consider some form of professional development each year?
"Absolutely. In terms of continuous improvement and best practice, we can't rest on our laurels. There is always new technology and new ways of doing things. Professional development exposes you to it and can give you new career momentum. Exposing your staff to that change and helping them to drive improvement can certainly contribute to happier, more motivated and more productive staff. It's a sound investment for everybody.
Even if your employer doesn't champion professional development, there are many free online resources and short courses you can do from home. So next time you want a promotion or to go on secondment or try a different role or lead a project team, you have an extra feather in your cap."
Erin Chaloner works in Human Resource Services at the University of New England.
