Why every employee needs a personal development plan.

At ProspHR Solutions, we’ve been helping growing companies maximise their workforce potential for two decades. Just as a business has a growth plan, so too should the employees within it. This takes the form of a Personal Development Plan, or PDP.

At ProspHR, we don’t believe in creating PDPs for the sake of them, simply filing them away until an annual review. A PDP needs to be a living, breathing document to serve any real purpose to the employer or the employee. 

In this article, we explore some of the key benefits of an employee having a PDP. 

Why every employee needs a personal development plan. 

1. Improved Performance and Productivity. 

Perhaps the most obvious benefit to having a PDP is that by investing in the skills and knowledge of employees, you’ll see an uplift in their performance and productivity. A thorough, well-thought-out PDP will ascertain the needs of the business and align it with the personal needs and goals of the individual.  

2. Increased Employee Engagement and Retention. 

As you’ve probably experienced yourself, when you have a clear path for growth, you understand how those steps in your development contribute to the end goal. You’re invested in the process as you can see the full picture. When an employer takes the time to invest in a PDP, it’s a clear indication to the employee that they are valued and the company is committed to their development. As a result, the employee feels a sense of loyalty and belonging and is more likely to be more invested in their work. This can lead to increased job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a more positive company culture.  

3. Spotlight on Key Talent. 

A PDP is a great tool to help you identify and develop key individuals in your teams, those who could be the future leaders of the business. This is essential if your business operates in a highly competitive market and part of your strategy is to cultivate a strong pipeline of future leaders. By investing in them today, not only do you have the opportunity to shape their development and track their progress, you’ll also be building up loyalty and trust. Your future talent also has the opportunity to help shape the company culture, one which they want to remain a part of for the long term.   

A key investment in your business. 

A PDP is not a tick-box exercise. It’s a strategic tool to help create a culture of continuous improvement, where employees feel valued, motivated and aligned with the aspirations of the business.  

Whether you have already invested in PDPs or this is an area of HR you’d like to explore, speak to our HR consultants by booking a Prosperity call. Email helpmybusinessthrive@ProspHRSolutions.com or call us on 0345 548 2124. 

The Power of Wellbeing: Enhancing Productivity and Retention in SMEs

ProspHR Solutions brings the human as well as commercial focus to HR. A common area that can be overlooked as an asset to boost revenue is wellbeing. Historically associated with employee benefits, employee wellbeing strategy has advanced beyond token gestures of free fruit and the day off on your birthday.

Investing in a structured workplace wellbeing strategy will give you a great financial return in many ways. We explore them in this article.

Enhancing Productivity

If your teams are full of employees who are overwhelmed and stressed, their productivity is going to be impacted. They may not be as focused or creative as they were. Invest in wellbeing to give your employees practical support that they can use when they need it most. When employees are happy, supported, and feel well physically and mentally, they can perform at their best. And that’s where you’ll see a boost to productivity.

Strengthen retention

Employees who can see a company investing in their wellbeing may be more inclined to stay there long-term. It shows a commitment to the individuals who are working hard and initiatives like offering professional development can help to retain top talent. The company then avoids the time and financial cost associated with recruiting and training replacement employees.

Attractive company culture

Employees are evaluating potential employers on more than salary and benefits. They are researching companies that clearly prioritise employee wellbeing and invest in it strategically. The wellbeing of their colleagues will impact the culture they could potentially be working in. If that culture is known for being supportive, positive, engaging and motivating, it could be the deciding factor in a competitive market.

Defining a wellbeing strategy

There are no-size-fits-all when it comes to wellbeing strategy – it should be tailored to the company. Working together with the senior leaders, ProspHR Solutions can identify the right wellbeing initiatives for your organisation and help you with implementation. We’ll involve your valued employees throughout the process.

Book a Prosperity Call today to find out how ProspHR Solutions can help your company to leverage its people power, and drive productivity whilst creating an engaged workforce.

Contact us today at helpmybusinessthrive@prosphrsolutions.com or call 0345 548 2124. 

How employers can support their workers to be more inclusive.

This month, our blogs are focused on the topic of Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity (DE&I). In an ideal world, we would all accept our individual differences. Rather than supporting conformity, we would encourage education and celebration of what makes us all unique. We would create workplaces that are inclusive to all, and that empower individuals to thrive.

Though there is no legal requirement to have policies on diversity and inclusion, in our experience having a strategy in place is extremely beneficial. Putting the compliance aspects aside, studies consistently show that companies with strong DE&I practices outperform their competitors. Their employees are more engaged and productive. The diversity of their teams boosts creativity and innovation.

How employers can support their workers to be more inclusive.

Companies don’t always need to have a formal strategy in place to improve diversity and inclusion among their employees. An essential first step is to educate your employees on diversity and how they can help to create an inclusive workplace.

Here’s some top tips to help you get started:

• Engage with your teams from the start.

Significant change or company-wide training programmes, which teams weren’t expecting, can be unsettling. It’s best to be open and upfront about what you plan to do and why you are doing it. As part of these open conversations, it’s a good opportunity to explore potential bias (conscious or not) that already exists as this can be used to inform the diversity training you put in place. Many companies choose to involve an external HR consultant in order to encourage honest feedback from employees.

• Roll out diversity training.

The best way you can support your employees to be more inclusive is to educate them on diversity and inclusivity. Help them to understand the impact of unconscious bias and how to recognise (and overcome) their own biases. In our experience, it’s best to start with leadership teams and managers. They could lead by example and share what they discovered as a result of the training, and how they are working to overcome their biases.

• Support the message using the right language.

Words are powerful and they can underpin or undermine the work you are doing when it comes to diversity training. If you have internal comms teams or company-wide communications regularly sent out, consider what additional support or training this group needs. From making communications accessible to all to using preferred personal pronouns, it’s fundamental that company communications are inclusive and accessible to all.

• Review recruitment policies so you can recruit diversely.

Part of your investment in diversity and inclusion training should be in reviewing current recruitment processes. It’s important that you understand whether unconscious bias could be influencing hiring or promotion decisions. As a minimum, you might consider implementing blind application screening. If at all possible, implementing a diverse hiring panel will ensure multiple view-points are represented during the process.

• Monitor the changes and remain consistent.

Remember, change takes time. One-off training courses aren’t going to transform individual thinking overnight. Ongoing reviews, consistent messaging and access to additional training where needed are going to be critical to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity and inclusivity training will naturally encourage new ideas from employees to further enhance the workplace, continuing to make it as welcoming as possible to all.

Underpin all of this with robust anti-discrimination policies to protect the safe and inclusive workplace you are creating. Employees who understand that discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated will feel empowered to report it, further underlining the values of the company.

At ProspHR Solutions, we understand how critical educating employees on diversity and inclusivity is towards creating a safe and nurturing workplace for all. We also understand that such training needs to be managed with sensitivity and respect. We have helped companies like yours to build a sustainable culture with diversity, equality and inclusivity at its heart.

If you’d like to have a confidential discussion about DE&I training at your company, book a Prosperity Call today. Get in touch via email helpmybusinessthrive@ProspHRSolutions.com or call us on 0345 548 2124.