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Introduction
Every IT leader knows that skills in the IT sector and their requirements are growing and changing constantly. Many companies struggle to find the right individuals (with particular skill sets). Because of the growing trend we are experiencing, more and more IT leaders are focusing on upgrading the existing skills of their development teams!
It will certainly pay off.
The only way people can be promoted or become leaders is to encourage them to progress and gain experience within the company.
How can that be achieved? Read this post to find out!
How to define talent development
Talent development is a focus on developing employees’ skills and competencies. Companies provide opportunities and tools to learn and explore new topics to advance their careers and develop themselves.
The main aim of “talent development” is to support employees who are engaged in their work to continue growing. This idea improves work performance and helps discover new talents within an existing group of people in one workplace.
Don’t be misled!
People tend to equate development with training. Typically, training programs are created to help in development of just one specific competence and don’t focus on opportunities to grow. The talent development model of acquiring knowledge allows people to gain certain skills and deepen their knowledge from co-workers within an individual approach.
The role of an IT leader in development
As in the quote above, CTOs in IT have become responsible for developing talents in their companies. The truth is that every leader knows this but just a few can really implement this model and deliver those options to staff with high potential.
According to Drew Hansen from Forbes, leaders who move up in an organization are less able and eager to develop other people, despite the fact that they recognize the need for development on every level!
Leaders have to realize the need for talented and inspired employees in a company! They can’t forget about their most precious skill and responsibility in one: leading and DEVELOPING talented teams.
What are the perks of talent development for a company?
First of all, as a leader, you should aim to support talent development and growth in order to gain:
- Increased engagement & productivity.
- Reduced recruitment costs.
- Higher performance levels.
How to start a technology talent development at your company
It’s vital to meet with your staff and ask each of them about their career path and eagerness to develop in your company.
You can ask questions concerning:
- the readiness for new opportunities,
- the right time for a change,
- the strengths and personal ambitions concerning their current job,
- areas of interests concerning development.
According to Mike Zahigian, CIOs and CTOs ought to take such a path to start talent development:
Upfront investments count!
All leaders should understand what the opportunities are in their departments and start building talents.
Don’t be afraid of HR in the beginning!
Cooperate with HR in your company. They have a massive amount of tools, processes, and methods to adopt in the initial phase of talent development.
Don’t stop with talent!
When every high performing employee will be on the right path to development, all departments and leaders have to work to sustain the growth of investment in the human sector.
Develop people to develop talent… yourself!
What can you yourself do as a leader in a developing team of people? Well, there’s something.
- If you lead a team of people, you already are on the path for developing talents.
- Design an e-learning for your people. Make knowledge accessible.
- Bring on board or coach a CEO – it will mean a lot in overall development.
What else leads to talent development?
“Training” design and delivery is not the only way of development. Talent can be growing “inside” and “outside” the company. It can be supported by: coaching, job shadowing, Wikipedia, Blogs, lectures, meetups, handbooks, articles, voluntary work, etc.
Everything from this list (that can be bigger!) can support the growth of a skilled employee.
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