We talk about Continuous Professional Development (CPD) often with our members. If you want your team to stay sharp, keep skills relevant, help foster career growth and maintain a high level of job satisfaction there isn’t anything better than CPD. The act of CPD is often thought about only within the confines of work. However, most employees have hobbies and interests outside of work that can actually provide lots of development opportunities.
Let’s take a look at some ways Employers can support and encourage their team to grow and develop their skills outside of work.
Promote a Culture of Learning:
We’re no strangers to talking about culture here at Start Digital, we firmly believe a company’s culture greatly influences employee behaviour. So how can we begin to encourage CPD outside of work?
- Encourage Curiosity: Create an environment where employees feel comfortable exploring new interests. Share resources like industry blogs, podcasts, and online courses to spark curiosity.
- Celebrate Learning: Recognise and reward employees who pursue learning opportunities on their own. This can be through shoutouts in meetings or small incentives.
- Lead by Example: Leadership should actively engage in CPD and share their experiences with the team. This can motivate employees to follow suit.
Provide Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not all learning opportunities are available at socially convenient times. Maybe there’s a night course that starts just a little too close to someone’s finishing time for example. This is where being able to provide flexibility to individuals working arrangements can be of huge support. Consider some of the following: –
- Implement Remote Work Options: Remote work reduces commuting time, allowing employees to dedicate that extra time to learning and personal development.
- Offer Flexible Hours: Flexible schedules empower employees to choose when they are most productive, freeing up time for CPD activities.
- Promote Work-Life Balance: Encourage a healthy balance to prevent burnout and maintain enthusiasm for continuous learning.
Support External Learning Opportunities
Employers can directly support employees in their pursuit of knowledge by:
- Reimbursing Education Costs: Provide financial assistance for courses, certifications, or conferences that align with the company’s goals.
- Partnering with Educational Institutions: Collaborate with universities or training centres to offer employees discounted or exclusive courses.
- Offering Study Leave: Allow employees additional paid time off to prepare for exams or attend intensive training sessions.
Encourage Creative Pursuits
Being creative is one of the best things you can do. Creativity helps people destress and improve their problem-solving. This isn’t even mentioning how creativity helps inside of the Digital sector since so many parts of working inside Digital require a level of creativity.
Creativity does not have to be limited to art though, why not try the following to encourage your team to become more creative: –
- Hosting Creative Challenges: Organise competitions that promote creative thinking and teamwork.
- Providing Hobby Groups: Form interest-based groups like photography clubs, book clubs, or coding circles, giving employees a chance to connect and learn from each other.
- Sharing Creative Projects: Create a platform where employees can showcase their creative endeavours, fostering a sense of community and cross-functional inspiration.
To wrap things up
We’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg so far, encouraging CPD and creativity for staff offers countless benefits inside and out of work. Promote a culture of learning, provide as much support and flexibility as possible and the opportunities for individuals to grow are really endless.
