In 2018, LinkedIn’s report on Workforce Learning, 93% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers. Thus, companies supporting their employees in their professional development are less likely to have a decrease in employee retention. TINYpulse’s study showed that 20% of employees are more likely to still be working at their companies a year later, especially if they feel in control of their careers. 

Based on this information, we designed a learning plan based on Seniority Principles that are constantly updated to the market’s requirements. These seniority principles are a set of skills each employee needs to sharpen in order to promote to the next seniority level. It is based on the market’s requirements for each role, and we’re reviewing them yearly in order to ensure their relevance, taking into consideration how fast-paced the digital industry is. We believe that keeping an employee growing and developing new skills throughout their career will contribute greatly towards retention. 

The learning plan, we’ve mentioned earlier, is based on the Seniority Principles one. After looking over the requirements needed to promote to the next level, team leaders and employees can create a custom learning plan, based on the projects, responsibilities, and goals of the employee. Each “to do” of this learning plan has measurable and actionable items that cannot be interpreted, and it’s clear for everyone when they are completed. The Learning Plan covers both technical and soft skills development. 

The plan is discussed from the beginning within the software development team. Twice a year this plan is verified to observe what stage any member of the team is at. These tools give transparency to the professional evolution process of each employee as well as promotion eligibility. Our employees know exactly what they need to do to reach the next level of seniority. 

According to the journey of the learning plan, leadership opportunities for the employees are one of the most important steps because it’s the best way for a company to grow significantly. Let’s see what our way of thinking is in this regard. By keeping employees motivated, and outside their comfort zone, they can develop new skills productively. By giving them a chance to either coordinate an internship, mentor a junior, or become a team/technical lead, their professional and personal skills will sharpen and our company can expect higher employee retention. The growth of employees is directly proportional to the company’s growth, so we offer this depending on the context and possibilities. Thus, if a member of the team stands out with knowledge, skills, or a way of thinking, he receives a new opportunity. Specifically, he can reach a leadership position. In the case of our development team, they can become technical leads or team leads. 

Professional and personal development should always be encouraged. Whenever a colleague of ours wants to invest in a course that would broaden their knowledge on specific areas, we will help with the investment as long as there’s proof of its utility in their professional area as well. What we’ve learned throughout the years is that conferences tend to give you the inspiration you need to improve your skills. When you do find yourself in a slump, or you’ve caught interest in a certain topic, a conference or workshop can offer you the inspiration and information you need to bring improvements to your team. That’s why we encourage our colleagues to participate in conferences and workshops whenever they feel it’s necessary for their further professional development.