The opportunity by which a person has to change or better themselves in business is often referred to as employee development.  As singular as it might sound, employee development is actually a group effort by both the employee themselves and the business for which they work.  The goal of this course of action is to increase the individuals skills, abilities and knowledge base to move them forward in their overall career development while walking the fine line between both the persons needs and the business needs at all times to ensure a win-win result for all involved.  Here is a question for you though…if a person is good at the job they currently do, why would development of that said employee be necessary at all?

Go into any work place and take a poll of the employees you encounter.  If you ask them whether they would like to work for a corporation that fosters the career goals of its employees through continued education courses or a business that prefers instant results and allows no room for further advancement, which do you think they would really choose?  The first option would win by a mile.  No one wants to be boxed in by what is expected of them, even those that are perfectly content in the position they currently hold.  They all want the opportunity to be available to them whether or not they choose to take it.  As a bonus for the company, the individuals that do accept the challenge laid forth will come out on the other side as an even greater asset to you.

The end decision is up to you.  Would you rather have a team full of go getters just waiting to tackle the next obstacle thrown in their way or a group of people looking for their next way out?  When weighing the potential cost of employee development programs against the cost of having to train a new employee from start to finish, in the end the opportunity for advancement will always win.