Employee Development Plan: How to Create a Plan in 5 Steps

An employee development plan—sometimes called an employee growth plan or a career development plan—aims to further an employee’s professional development. With this tailor-made action plan, employees can better their existing skills or acquire new ones to achieve their short-term and long-term professional goals.

Employers can use an employee development plan to help employees progress into new roles within the company while understanding any challenges that lay before them.

An employee development plan benefits both employees and employers. An employee development plan creates a set path that employees can take as they work their way up the ladder. The employee development plan shows an investment in an employee’s professional development, which can help employees feel more appreciated. An employee development plan shows employers prioritize workers, which can raise employee morale and improve employee retention.

An employee development plan can include:

• Career goals: Since the aim of a performance plan is to find ways to become a stronger professional, specific career goals can serve as a north star. An effective employee development plan will include a list of steps you can take to reach your short- and long-term goals, such as development opportunities, certifications you can get, and training programs in which you can participate.
• Employee performance: Adding employee performance can help you understand your competencies and skills gaps. This can help you determine where you should focus your time and efforts.
• Timeline: You and your manager should also set a timeline for completing certain tasks and goals. Along with that, you should also decide how often you will check in with your manager on your progress.

You should create specific plans that consider your own goals as well as those of the organization. Here are the steps to follow to create an employee development plan:

1. 1. Consider your needs. Think about your professional needs, particularly where you want to improve. An employee development is a collaboration between an employee and an employer, so ensure you have open discussions with your manager or direct reports.
2. 2. See how your goals can align with the business’ goals. While you want to find ways to improve in your career, you should also aim to find ways to grow in your own role. Determine if you can learn any new skills that will help the business meet immediate goals or if you can ready yourself for future roles within your company.
3. 3. Set deadlines. Create a realistic timeline for meeting your goals. Create short-term goals that you can meet in th enear future, as well as long-term goals that you constantly work toward. Use the SMART system to create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
4. 4. Look for resources. With the help of your manager, learn what tools you can use to reach your goals. Employers might cover the cost of college tuition, classes, or conference tickets; a company may also provide paid time off so you can study. You and your manager can put together a low-cost list of resources, such as webinars, podcasts, textbooks, e-books, and local education classes. Or you can find people within the company that can mentor you.
5. 5. Create the plan. Once you know what areas to target, create your plan. Your company may have a template where you can add in your objectives, deadlines, personal details, and more. As you fill out your plan, make sure to set a time to check back in on your progress.

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