The business world is ever-changing. With new demands, different challenges, and the emergence of a range of technologies, it can be hard to keep up. As a result, you might feel like there’s a gap on your team in terms of skills. The good news is that you can tap your existing staff to fill it. Here are some ways to help you grow your talent from within:
Training.
Make sure you’re offering your employees a range of diverse opportunities to help them learn and grow in new and different ways. This can be anything from brown bag lunches where an outside speaker comes in to online seminars that help employees keep their skills up-to-date and acquire new ones in the process.
Mentoring.
Create a mentoring program where those with certain skills or in advanced positions are mentoring junior-level employees. With a program like this, there’s the opportunity for knowledge transfer, as well as the development of new skills and abilities, all without you having to hire new full-time staff. In the process, with senior members and junior employees collaborating, you’re also opening the door for new relationships to form, ideas to exchange, and a stronger team overall.
Feedback.
If you don’t already, get into the habit of giving your employees regular feedback. Connect with them in an informal way on a weekly basis and talk about what they’re working on, challenges or concerns they’re dealing with and how you can help. In addition, at the completion of every project, hold a post-mortem so you and your team can talk about what worked, what didn’t and what lessons you can glean from the experience.
Stretch assignments.
If you have talented individuals who simply need to gain some experience, give them stretch assignments. These are projects that are outside their current skill level and knowledge, but will help them learn and develop while still contributing to the team.
Hiring outside of your current staff is expensive. But by following the tips above, you can avoid it, developing your internal staff, so they can better meet your needs and your company can become more agile and competitive in the process.
Still need to hire on externally?
As one of the top providers of staffing services in Kansas City, Morgan Hunter is here for you. We offer a range of custom solutions, from contract staffing to direct hiring, with an option that’s right for you. Contact us today to learn more or set up a consultation.