Employers in every industry are fast realizing the value of investing long-term in their employees. Happy employees tend to work more efficiently, produce better results, and potentially play important roles in growing the companies they work for, ultimately multiplying the return on the initial investment. To encourage personal and professional growth amongst your staff, all you really need is time and commitment to the cause.

Schedule regular check-ins

Building a strong culture of support in your workplace could be as simple as showing your employees that you care about how they’re doing, during work hours and beyond. Make the time to meet with each employee individually and talk to them about their immediate and long-term goals, strengths and weaknesses, things they want to learn more about, and anything that might be troubling them. The trust and respect you foster amongst your employees by doing so will prove an immediately invaluable resource.

Implement coaching and mentoring schemes

The best employees for your company are the ones who are hungry to improve their skills and performance, and what better way to do that than by learning directly from others in the office? Mentoring someone can be just as rewarding as being mentored, and there’s a good chance that both mentor and mentee will come away with skills and knowledge that could substantially improve their performance at work and in life. Take care to make good pairings, and you can kill two birds with one stone.

Provide personalised incentive

It’s almost impossible to urge another person down the path of self-improvement if they see no reason to travel along it. That’s why providing a positive reason for your employees to take advantage of growth opportunities is one of the best ways of ensuring results. The best kind of incentive is a personal one, so take the time to work out what matters to each of your employees, whether it’s a neat bonus for that weekend shopping trip or the chance to clock off early and spend time with family.

Sponsor opportunities for further education

This might mean buying personal development books for your office, sending your staff to conferences, or even sponsoring them to attain further qualifications by taking up new courses through online educational institutions. These days your staff can brush up on everything from accounting and law, all the way to beauty therapy. Many of these courses offer not only the flexibility of online study but also allow for practical work experience, which can prove invaluable to the company going forward. The extra knowledge and experience gained during the study could lead them to add even greater value to your organization by diversifying their role.

Emphasise interpersonal relationships

Personal growth is about much more than just academic progress, and if you want to help your employees grow as people, interpersonal relationships are key. Encouraging your staff to develop positive interoffice relationships with colleagues of every level will not only encourage a strong culture, but also help to sow the seeds of new ideas. You might have no idea what your employees are capable of as a team until you bring them together, so start by including them in any regular networking opportunities you’re already involved in.

Allow for movement

If you’re working with a group of young employees, it’s likely that many of them won’t have figured out a long-term career path for the future. This can be an extremely daunting prospect as young people are likely to have more jobs throughout their lifetime than any previous generation, but you can help. If an employee is struggling with direction, encourage them to explore similar roles within the company and find their sweet spot. Knowing that they have the freedom to move will make growth that much more natural.

Prioritise mental and physical health

The cost of poor physical and mental health is a burden for any employer, particularly when it comes to sick leave. If employee health challenges are proving costly, consider investing in a wellness program. It doesn’t need to be expensive - even simple things like encouraging your employees to stand up from their desks and walk around for a few minutes every couple of hours can make a big difference over time. Just know that every dollar you spend on wellness initiatives will return in the form of happy employees, as well as reduced leave expenses.

If you offer your employees the right training and advice, you might anticipate improved performance, but if you invest in them on a personal level, they could quickly become an invaluable asset. Any investment you make in your employees’ personal growth is likely to be reflected in your professional standing as a company, so start with a conversation and watch your company grow from the inside.