What’s one of the most important activities within your organization, and often the hardest to accomplish? Talent development. And yet, intentional staff cultivation is one of the best ways to keep your organization stable and focused on mission.
According to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, nonprofits can’t keep ignoring talent development if they hope to increase employee retention and protect their budget. Half the respondents surveyed in a study by the Bridgespan Group identified frustration over a lack of professional development opportunities as the reason for their departure from an organization.
The good news is that organizations of any size can tackle this challenge. Some solutions to the turnover problem you might consider include: providing stretch opportunities for employees to grow, creating a culture of mentorship, and offering skill development opportunities.
You may be concerned that your employees could grow beyond your organization with professional development, but recent CEB research found that “staff members who feel their organizations are supporting their growth stay longer than those who don’t, because they trust that their organizations will continue to invest in them over the long term.”
At CNE we try to be as creative as possible while investing in our employees. We’ve found that there’s no one-size-fits-all, that the best talent development is tailored to each individual, and you have to take time to discover that. But it’s worth it!
Check out our upcoming trainings, peruse our assortment of leadership circles, or our management academy, and consider the many resources CNE offers that will help to grow your organization’s talent from within.
If you’d like to think more strategically about talent development, we’d like to help.
– The Team at CNE