Why Is On-going Professional Development So Important?

Professional development and the opportunity to learn and grow are very important for the HR professional.  Learning best practices will allow for managers and individual contributors to understand what is happening not only in their industry but in other industries as well.  The cross-transfer of technology and new management practices and techniques will enable the HR professional to try out new and innovative programs at work.  Professional development and training programs should focus on two key training strategies:

Business, Revenue and Sales Growth Training

Creating a high performance environment will allow your employees to make the transition from selling a product or service to selling a solution.  The value of making this transition will ensure that sales practices and processes are consistent yet meet the needs of the customer.  In HR, while the “sales” component is typically not external, key to attracting external talent is the ability to “sell” the company and the culture.

Employee Satisfaction & Loyalty Training

An increase in employee loyalty can boost profits and productivity.  Research has shown that satisfied employees lead to greater profitability and growth.   Allocating training dollars to a manager’s budget can reduce turnover, improve product knowledge and diagnose any performance issues of key employees.  Creating a high performance culture of learning will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the individual.  Allocating the resources to bridge the performance gap will create a culture of loyal employees.

Employers today want to understand how they can secure more creativity and support from their employees.  On-going training will allow for the manager to determine how to execute the best strategy from the employee’s perspective by enriching their jobs and assisting them with fine-tuning their skills.

Next month the Society of HR Management will be hosting its annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  This premier 3 day conference explores progressive HR programs, new technologies along with the ability to network with other HR professionals from across the United States and the world.  While the SHRM conference is the most well know learning opportunity there are also regional conferences, local workshops sponsored by smaller HR organizations, webinars and training opportunities through continuing education programs.  You are encouraged to attend these venues to increase your knowledge and skill level.