Building a Strong Development Culture

With baby boomers retiring in droves and millennials becoming the largest generation in the workforce, todays talent landscape is in flux. And as senior employees prepare their exit strategies, younger generations are eager for development opportunities that put them on the path to filling these soon-to-be-vacant leadership positions. As a result, career mobility is becoming a key differentiator for organizations when it comes to retention. According to the 2018 Brandon Hall Group Career Development Study, 87 percent of workers say development is important to them and 57 percent insist that a clear career path would compel them to stay longer at an organization, saving companies from the costs of recruiting and training new hires.

Development impacts more than just retention, though. The digital revolution has introduced new technology to the workforce, such as highly automated, AI-powered software and hardware. More than 50 percent of all jobs today already involve new tech requirements, according to CareerBuilder, leaving many of todays workers in need of upskilling. What's more, as automation plays a growing role in the world of work, employees have to sharpen the soft skills that make them uniquely human: clear communication abilities, empathy and critical thinking. While its partly up to employees to show initiative in seeking out the skills they lack or simply need to strengthen, organizations and L&D teams must provide the resources—learning content, digital courses and social sharing capabilities—that learners need.

In this guidebook, you'll learn how to develop talent and, in doing so, gain a competitive advantage. After all, empowering development that grooms leaders, boosts employee retention and closes skill gaps will not only advance your workers careers, but also help achieve your organizations business goals by ensuring that your employees are producing quality work. With eight articles covering everything from thriving in the skills economy to creating cultures and content that foster learning, our featured pieces will help you continuously empower your people and enhance their employee experience.