Here's how you can help employees set those goals and give them the tools they need to achieve them.
Every new year brings with it an opportunity for making positive changes, and the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. As people plan how to improve their personal lives, they undoubtedly have resolutions for their professional development as well. Those who are unhappy with their work lives will be eager for a fresh start, while others may simply want to learn a new skill or improve on their previous year’s performance. Here are the five most common career resolutions and how to help your employees reach them.
1 Learning a new skill
With the world of work ever evolving and constant mention of jobs and skills that will be obsolete in the future, many people are upskilling themselves. Furthermore, employers want employees who are motivated and able to learn new skills quickly. Such is the importance of learning agility. For employees with this resolution, find out if they want to acquire skills that will make them more effective at their current job or a new one as this will determine which skills they should be looking at and which institutions or learning platforms to consider.
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2 Getting a promotion
Most employees will aspire to a loftier position with more responsibilities and a higher salary, but not everyone can be given a promotion. Furthermore, senior roles can only become available once they are vacated or are created for strategic purposes. The best way to advise an employee with their eyes set on promotion is to assess their own performance over the last year and take stock on their own abilities in so far as whether they are deserving. Ask them if they have delivered the results and have received positive feedback all year about how valuable they are to the company. If so, the next step is choosing the right time, place, and method for asking for that promotion, specifying how they feel they can further deliver value to the organisation.
3 Changing jobs
There are few things worse than working in a job that makes you miserable. And for those who are unhappy for whatever reason, be it low pay, a clash with their manager or an unfulfilling role, finding a new company to work for will be a priority in the new year. As an HR leader, your role is to know when employees are unhappy and find out if you can make their work lives more fulfilling. Find out if there is something you can do to make them feel motivated again, whether it is by having a frank conversation with their manager or offering a different role within the company. If it is not possible to keep the employee, perhaps it is time to start preparing for a vacancy.
