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Did you know?

Providing the career development your team members need is critical if you are to retain your top talent.
It’s not surprising, then, that failing to deliver on this is likely to be one of the strongest drivers for your
high-potential employees to seek their development somewhere else. A survey of over 1,200 high
achievers, averaging 30 years old, revealed that 95% of them regularly engaged in job-search activities.
Dissatisfaction with the development available to them featured strongly in their decision to leave their
organization. On the whole, they were satisfied with their on-the-job development, which included being
placed in high-visibility positions, increased responsibility, etc. But one of the most significant factors
fueling early exit was lack of formal development to support them in those high-visibility positions. Formal
development like mentoring, coaching, and training courses. While the research is clear that 70% of
development comes from job experiences, importance of the 20% they gain through learning from other
people and the 10% through formal learning programs shouldn’t be ignored. Offer a balanced menu of
development opportunities to ensure you retain your talent. 16, 17

Tips to develop Develops talent
1. Never have career conversations? Start talking. While it’s not your responsibility to own and drive
another’s career, you do play an essential role in supporting them to do this for themselves. That’s
where career conversations come in. Take time to have these future-focused, one-on-one
conversations at least once a year. Prepare for the conversation by reflecting on what you see as the
person’s potential. What’s the highest level you believe they can reach? What do you see as their
strengths? Key development needs? Potential next assignment? Ask them to share their thoughts on
where their career is headed. What they want to achieve short- and long-term. Do they have the
desire (and potential) to reach a senior-level leadership position? Or are they focused on deepening
their technical expertise? Listen to what you hear and let them know where they stand. Be honest.
Use what you hear to differentiate talent and the way you develop it. Remember, if you don’t know
where a person is headed, you can’t help them get there. And one-size-fits-all development is rarely
effective.

2. Too busy? Prioritize the time. Do you try to focus on developing others but find that other activities
have higher priority? For most people, time is what they have the least of to give. But to help others
develop beyond today’s job, you need to prioritize, on average, eight hours per year per person. Two
hours are for an annual appraisal of the person in terms of current strengths, weaknesses, and
competencies they need to develop. Two hours are for an in-depth career discussion with each
person. Two are for creating a development plan with the person. And the last two hours are there
should you need to present findings and recommendations in a succession planning process or
arrange for developmental events to take place. Start scheduling in time for developing others. Make
it a priority to help people grow. You, your team, and the organization will benefit from increased
performance and people feeling happier in their jobs.

3. Could your experience help others? Be a mentor. Mentors play a critical role in supporting career
development through the offer of experience-based insight and guidance. Before you agree to mentor
someone, check that they’re following a career path that is similar to yours. To mentor well, you need

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