Employee Development Programs:
Their Purpose and Application
Julia Jucker
MBA539DL
October 20th, 2006
It can be said that the success of any organization relies upon the success and performance of its employees. Like the many forms of employee training, employee development programs are designed to address issues that affect employees. These issues range from corporate values and organizational missions to understanding and achieving personal career goals. In this paper, I will address the various reasons for implementing employee development programs and some of the methods and techniques used in implementing them.
The concept of employee development is not a new one. As something that has been around for more than fifty years, it has changed and evolved depending on the ups and downs of the job market. When unemployment rates are low, making more jobs available, and organizations try to focus on keeping their current employees, so programs are designed with that in mind. When the market is more unstable and rife with lay-offs and downsizing, organizations might focus on cross-training their employees or teaching them more marketable skills. More recently, employers have adapted in such a way that they no longer expect to keep a new employee until their retirement. Hence, many organizations are now focusing their employee development programs on how to achieve personal goals, how to better prepare for various technological advances, and how to be more productive, in an overall sense. In doing this, an organization creates a culture that embraces and encourages employee growth, development and success, which in turn contributes to the overall success of the organization. This type of ...