Developing employees is a critical job for managers yet most are unprepared to do it. Research shows that world-class organizations have a substantially higher ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees, compared to average organizations (nearly 10:1, compared to almost 2:1, according to Gallup).
It is in the interest of managers to invest in the development of their workforce, and it is in the interest of those in the training function to ensure that managers are effective at people development. That is why ASTD (the American Society for Training & Development) has created the Workforce Development Community of Practice. ASTD, the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field, offers managers relevant content drawn from experts in the field who know how to develop and engage employees.
“Research shows that the vast majority of employees do not feel engaged in their work,” says Ron Lippock, the workforce development community manager for ASTD. “That is a REAL problem for managers,” Lippock continues. “The lack of engagement has bottom-line impact for organizations. We believe that if managers know how to develop their employees they can contribute to their company’s success – and to their own career growth. This community was created to meet those needs.”
Among the membership-only offerings, Lippock says managers will be able to access
• 360-degree manager assessment tools
• more than 70 training videos targeting employee engagement and development skills
• case studies
• updated content and job aids
• a salary calculator
• the Skillpath Turnover cost tool
• special networking opportunities where managers can collaborate to share best practices.
“Few managers are taught how or why they should develop their employees,” Lippock notes. “This community of practice will provide its members content, tools, services, and events designed to help improve employee productivity and retention rates, which will make them better managers and improve their own career trajectory. We’re doing this because ASTD believes the training function has a vested interest in learning throughout an organization. Combining the capability of the training function with the manager’s responsibility to develop their staff ensures that organizations work better.”
For more information about the Workforce Development Community of Practice, visit www.developyourworkforce.com or email Ron Lippock at [email protected]. You can follow the community on Twitter, @astdworkforce.
