Employees are the lifeblood of a company, if they feel good, the company thrives, and if they feel exhausted, the company also starts to die down. That's why in modern days most organisations invest heavily in the mental welfare of their workers. But, they still leave one aspect untouched, and it's the Career Development of the employee.

Best known as EDP or Employee Development Plan, it basically refers to the alignments of the employee and the company. It can include a typical career roadmap like we see in career counseling, along with various knowledge and skill based training that is based on the likings of the employee. This helps boost morale while also helping the brand gain talents that they never had. There are many ways to achieve it, and today we will share the easiest one of all.

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Employee Development Plan is the best way to create talents that would help the brand achieve its goal. Because let's be honest, heroes aren't born, they are made and this program will help us create just that. So, here's the five simple steps to transform an ordinary employee into a genius:

No.1: The Alignments

Most employees usually don't have any idea what the main goal of the company is. They can only guess, which makes it harder for them to concentrate on other tasks when they start for the first time. So, the best thing is to just take a proper 1 on 1 meeting and help them understand exactly what the brand wants, and doesn't. This is always the first step towards creating the kind of relationship that lasts a generation.

No.2: Collaborative Efforts

There is no one man army in an organisation, it's all a joint effort. So the EDP should always help the one in question find the suitable partners through his manager and HR. This will help like-minded employees work together, create more opportunities and even quadruple the productivity in a short amount of time. Welcome self reflection and candid conversation, and leave rest to them.

No. 3: Identification

At this stage the EDP should actively try to find the development opportunities for its employees. Their goal should be clear and same goes for strengths and weaknesses. So now, find what he is lacking, start a curated training program based on that, and initiate the growth.

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No. 4: Documentation

Always keep proper documentation of everything, no matter how little it may be. These detailed reports may feel insignificant right now, but to someone these very same things may look like treasure troves.

No. 5: Implement and Monitor

Implement all the things that should help the employee grow, and also monitor it thoroughly. Evaluate how effective the plan is, if something is lacking or the plan isn't working as it should be, reevaluate the EDP and keep on improving it. The end is never the easier, so never let your guard down.

Download our free Employee Development Plan Templates from the three existing links. It has a simple EDP with some examples to help you understand how it works and what kinds of information should be going where. We have three working links as of now, so if one of them doesn't work then you can use the other one. All links forward to the same google sheet, so no need to download all of them.

The Employee Development Plan comes in many shapes and sizes. So, let's have a look at five of them based on their popularity:

1. Formal Training Programs: Fundamental training needed to get started on the workshop. Some like to call it the Probation period, and most organisations nowadays have some kind of implementation of formal training in their regiment.

2. Mentorship and Coaching: This one pairs the employee with a talented mentor with the same interest. This may sound obvious, but this is still a kind of EDP that we usually overlook.

3. Cross-training: Providing multitasking training so the employee can work on different roles if needed. Most of the time, the employee has the option to choose which role he or she wants to learn about.

4. Job Rotation: The upgraded version of the 3rd point, where they temporarily assign an employee to a different position for better knowledge growth.

5. Stretch Assignments: Sometimes managers assign tough tasks intentionally so the employee can come out of its comfort zone, and push forth to learn new skills. This is one of the best ways to grow an employee without them realising it.

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The Employee Development Plan is a life saver for most, which helps better employees perform even better. And if they are lucky enough, the newly improved self can help them land a promotion much sooner than they anticipated. After all, companies actively seek talents that can help the revenue grow through the roof.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is EDP and PIP same?

Ans. They may sound similar, but EDP and PIP or Performance Improvement Plan are vastly different. EDP helps an already good enough employee performance even better. Meanwhile the PIP targets the underperforming employees, and helps them match the minimum standards.

Q2. Who should maintain an Employee Development Plan?

Ans. No single person maintains all the books, instead it is divided among the manager, the employee and the HR. This doesn't require a dedicated department to function, and is usually an integrated part of the management from Day 1. 

Q3. How often should EDP be reviewed?

Ans. Since it is not a dedicated program, it can be looked at daily. Well that may be a bit too tiring, so once a month should be enough. Remember that you should immediately review if something doesn't work right. Tracking the cause and removing it before it festers more is the way to go.

Sources:

1. 9 Steps To Create an Impactful Employee Development Plan [Free Template]

2. Employee Development Plans: Importance and Examples | Chronus

3. Free Employee Development Plan Templates (Editable)

4. 4 Simple Steps for Better Employee Development Plans

5. Employee Development Essentials: Best Practices for Training