Staff development is defined as improving the knowledge and skills of employees within an organization by providing them with training.
Organizations that invest in staff development have found that it improves efficiency, improves productivity, ensures continuation of organizational knowledge, reduces turnover, reduces costs, improves employee morale, and increases employee job satisfaction. Staff development can also give the organization greater scheduling flexibility and can lead to operational improvements.
Staff development can take many forms, as the following tables illustrate:
Staff development carried out within the organization
Tutorships
A deliberate pairing of a more skilled / experienced person with a less skilled / experienced person, with the mutual goal of the latter growing and developing specific job competencies or organizational knowledge.
Observation of professionals
Working with another employee who may have a different job at hand, may have something to teach, or may help the person who follows you learn new aspects of work, organization, certain behaviors, or competencies.
Job rotation
Employees move between two or more jobs in a planned manner. The goal is to expose employees to different experiences and develop a wider variety of skills to improve job satisfaction and cross-train them.
Committee assignments
Interdepartmental committees work on a particular task, either permanently or temporarily.
Training programs
Formal skill development learning sessions in classroom workshops sponsored by the organization.
Staff development carried out within the organization
Special teams or working groups
Interdepartmental teams formed for the special purpose of working on any specific project or finding a solution to a very critical problem.
E-learning programs
Training modules available through an online learning system.
Leadership development programs
A series of leadership programs for selected employees with leadership potential. This may consist of formal scheduled training programs, as well as the assignment of a work project to address an organizational problem.
Brown bag / Lunch and learning sessions
Training provided during lunch hours. Employees bring their own lunches to the meeting.
Book discussion groups
Groups of people who meet regularly to discuss books that all members have read.
Development of staff carried out on the job
In training work
One-on-one training located in the workplace, where someone who knows how to perform a task shows another how to do it.
Job enrichment
Assign additional responsibilities normally reserved for higher-level employees.
Cross training
Teach an employee who was hired to perform a job function the skills necessary to perform other job functions
Stretch assignment
A project or task entrusted to employees that is beyond their current knowledge or skill level that places them in awkward situations to learn and grow.
Training
Two or more employees work together to reflect on current practices; expand, refine and develop new skills; share ideas; teach each other; conduct investigation; or solve problems in the workplace.
Staff meetings
Staff learn from each other. Short skill development sessions can be incorporated into staff meeting time.
Staff development carried out outside the organization
Sabbatical
An extended period of leave, often one year, that an employee takes to carry out projects that are not otherwise associated with the employee’s job. The employer may pay part or all of the wages that would otherwise have been earned or some or all of the expenses incurred.
Active learning
Small groups of colleagues meet over time to address real problems or issues in order to get things done; reflect and learn with and from their experience and from each other as they try to change things.
Professional associations
Opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills, as well as learn how other organizations handle similar problems at regular conferences and meetings.
Academic programs
Degree or non-degree programs. Some organizations bring an instructor to the workplace and provide paid time off for employees to attend. Others provide a stipend to support employees who earn accreditation in skills useful to the organization.
Volunteering
Employers contribute staff time, professional skills and company resources free of charge to local organizations.
Some offer employees time off to volunteer during work hours. Others coordinate days of service for their staff to work together on large group projects.
Self-directed learning
Employees take the initiative to diagnose their learning needs, formulate learning objectives, and identify human and material resources for learning.
Ted speaks
Twenty minute educational videos created from a presentation at TED’s main conference (technology, entertainment, design) or one of its many satellite events around the world.
Internet Resources
Online educational programs.
What staff development options does your organization offer? Are there others that I should have included?