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Take control of your own Personal Development

As new generations enter the workforce, many job seekers look for work opportunities in companies that will help with their own personal development. But whose responsibility is this really? Is itwork opportunities up to employers to provide training or should individuals be taking the initiative if they want to progress in their career?

In terms of Human Capital Management, business are recognising that they do have an important role to play. When they invest in their staff and create a stimulating work environment, it helps to reduce attrition and increases employee engagement which often results in greater productivity. This helps them to retain and develop top talent that contributes to the company success. So it is in a company’s interests to provide training and career development opportunities.

The Development Dilemma

The problem is that often employees will complete the training and gain the benefit from it and then move on elsewhere, so the money and time invested in those employees is benefiting someone else and not the company who provided the training. This dilemma results in companies being selective on who they provide training to, often choosing to invest in employees that show themselves to be proactive and interested in adding more value to the business as well as their own personal development.

One method that companies are in investing in terms of human capital management is gamification. This incorporates self-directed learning into a gaming type platform. It allows employees to create their own persona online, register for and complete training in their own time and gain recognition for their efforts. It’s proving to be a valuable tool because those employees that are really invested in personal development have the opportunity to complete additional training modules and further their own knowledge while at the same time encouraging others to do the same by their example.

But what if the company you work for does not provide these opportunities, or limits them to a select few senior staff? How can you progress in your personal development so that you’re consistently building your career? Here are our top 3 tips:

Set Goals and Objectives

You should give some thought as to where you want to me in the short, medium and long term. What type of Human Capital Management role to do you see yourself fulfilling in 5-10 year’s time or by the end of the year? What are the stepping stones to get there? What skills or type of experience will you need and how can you accomplish that?

Asking these questions will help you set clear goals and personal objectives. Remember too, the golden rules of goal setting: Goals should be specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable and time-based. Start with weekly goals, setting milestones that are a starting point to reach your long term human capital management goals.

Breaking bigger goals into bite sized chunks not only helps to keep you on track, it’s also extremely rewarding to tick off tasks. It gives you a sense of accomplishment which encourages you to keep moving towards your bigger personal development goals.

Coaching and Mentoring

Find someone who can mentor you and don’t underestimate the value of this. If you have some budget available you may want to invest in a personal or business coach. However, keep in mind that this is the type of relationship that will develop over time and could get quite costly if you choose to have regular weekly or monthly meet up sessions. A coach is someone who is trained (and certified) to help guide you in making decisions and helping you uncover what’s most important to you so that you can then direct your personal development efforts into specific areas of your life.

Mentoring on the other hand may be offered free of charge in an organisation or on an industry forum. This is where more senior people freely give of their time and input and are there to listen to your questions and provide advice based on their personal experience. This could be a senior colleague, manager or even director in the firm.

Keep in mind that a mentor needn’t be someone you meet with in person. You could connect with someone in your industry online and have video chats as mentoring sessions, or have a set up where you can communicate over email or chat.

Finally, there is also the option of reading inspirational stories and books by leading business and industry personalities. These books can provide valuable insights on how they achieved success that you can incorporate into your personal development and goal setting.

Beat the Imposter Phenomenon

Many people don’t progress in their careers, not because they don’t have the skills and abilities, but rather because they don’t believe in themselves. They live with a sense that they’re an imposter and soon someone will find out that they aren’t all they’re supposed to be. Part of personal development is recognising your skills and value you can contribute to a business. Believe in yourself and that you’re worth investing in, because if you do, others will too.

Resource On Demand is Europe’s first specialist Salesforce Recruitment Company. We assist the world’s leading organisations to grow their technology teams. Supporting companies to fill roles that span across digital marketing, marketing automation, Human Capital Management, CRM system management and, Salesforce developer, Salesforce consultant and Salesforce admin jobs.

The team at Resource On Demand have access to an extensive database of key talent, registering over 8000 professionals each year. To find out how we can support you call us on +44 20 8123 7769 or rod@resourceondemand.com.