The Helios HR Apollo Awards recognize Washington area organizations that place an intentional focus on employee development. Nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of judges and were narrowed down to 27 finalists across four categories. Some of the practices and tools used by Apollo Awards finalists in promoting employee development include: job swapping, robust orientation programs, consistent brown-bag training luncheons, targeted career coaching, leveraging the use of technology through learning management systems, robust knowledge management programs and structured on-the-job training.

We culled through the applications of our finalists and found some very innovative and exciting ideas that we wanted to share to assist you in integrating training and career development opportunities into your own organizational culture. These tips should prove very useful in promoting and supporting employee development:

Tip One: Effective on-boarding is vital to fostering retention, increasing productivity and enhancing the professional development of your team.

One Apollo Awards finalist company believes and puts into practice the philosophy “career development is synonymous with team member engagement.” For this company, career development literally begins during new hire orientation and assimilation.

At the end of the first 60-days on the job, many employers conduct a performance review to discuss the new hire’s progress. This company turns the table on that generally held approach and asks the new hire how THEY are doing.

• Have we demonstrated a commitment to our stated philosophy and mission?
• Have we provided the tools and training to perform the duties of the job?
  Have we made you feel welcome?

This organization puts great emphasis on fusing an emotional connection with new hires; as well as providing the training and support needed to make new employees feel confident in their new jobs.

They do not stop the training and development after 60-days, but continue with bimonthly Brown Bag training luncheons dedicated to leadership, management principles, and a variety of pertinent subjects. The company’s ideology on training is “make it real.” These gatherings give the teams a chance to break bread together and participate in a group exercise related to the current learning topic. This year learning topics have been tied to the current economic climate, revenue growth and expense management. Past topics have included diversity, team building and effective communication.

Tip Two: Aid each individual employee in the progress of his/her professional career.

This Apollo Awards finalist offers an abundance of career development opportunities for their employees, beginning with a two-day “Boot Camp” for all new hires and continuing with a Talent Management Program, a formalized Meet the CEO program and mandatory career coaching.

All new hires attend thorough, two-day “Boot Camp” geared at helping them understand the industry, company history and focus, company culture, and personal success metrics.

The organization’s Talent Management Program, combined with mandatory monthly coaching sessions, enables employees to take charge of their own career path. During coaching sessions, employees and managers speak candidly about the employee’s progress, plans for the future and the necessary steps required to execute on developmental plans.

Employees also have access to the executive team, specifically the CEO, where they are able to discuss the future of the organization and ways they can be successful members of the team.

Through this structured approach to career development, managers are able to provide their staff with tools for success, paths for advancement and goals that are closely aligned to employee self-identified career paths.

Tip Three: Cross-train team members in other functional areas.

Imagine communicating with and training a workforce where approximately 75 percent of the team is home-based. Employees in this company do not have the opportunity to learn from others by simply “walking around the office”, so this Apollo Awards finalist had to get creative in promoting employee development and communication.

Team members at this company job swap. They are given the opportunity to serve in their supervisor’s capacity for a designated time, learning what it takes to communicate effectively and manage a remote workforce. The benefits of sitting in your boss’ shoes are two-fold; team members hone skills that will better prepare them for promotions. Plus, this program enables the management team to more accurately identify the best candidates for job promotions.

Another Apollo Awards finalist organization has a long-standing tradition of providing employees with opportunities to learn all aspects of their business. Individuals in this company are not relegated to work in one department, business segment or specific job for their entire career. They are encouraged to take different career paths within the organization, which gives them a well-rounded understanding of the business and with each move they bring the expertise from their previous position. As with the previous Apollo Awards finalist, it’s a win-win situation for the employees and management team.

Tip Four: Encourage employees at all levels to bring any manager new ideas and suggestions for improving procedures, processes and efficiencies.

Employees and managers at all levels in this Apollo Awards finalist organization bring ideas and suggestions to each other on development and growth opportunities. They foster an atmosphere of openness where upward, downward and cross-departmental communication is truly embraced.

Information sharing is ongoing and occurs across all levels and departments in the organization. Almost daily, employees and managers refer articles, books, webinars and conferences to each other. They participate in and contribute to the corporate Knowledge Center and Wiki in the spirit of sharing experiences, best practices, customer feedback and individual expertise.

This open communication has been instrumental in helping employees identify opportunities for professional growth and assisting managers in understanding individual t employee strengths. It has also empowered employees and managers at all levels to make a difference in their work product and effort.

Helios HR congratulates all of our Apollo Awards finalists. These organizations demonstrate a commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning and employee development! We encourage you to attend the Apollo Awards ceremony on June 5th at the Fairview Park Marriott where we will recognize our finalists and winners and share additional best practices presented by nominating companies. For more information and to register for our event, click here.