If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably filled with ambition. You have a passion for success. Walk into the business section of any bookstore and start scanning the shelves. You’ll find book after book touting the authors’ system, or process, or formula, or acronym for achieving success. Everyone wants to acquire the secret to being a commercial powerhouse or a professional prodigy. I can sum up the secret for you in two words: lifelong learning.
Parents obsess over their children’s educations. Everyone wants to make sure their children have the best schools, the extra learning experiences, the opportunities to develop their talents, the tools to gain the upper hand in life. Learning doesn’t stop as soon as you receive your diploma or degree. Continuing education is crucial. High-achieving organisations devote the same passion for learning to their team members as parents do for their children. Whether your organisation’s goal is to increase profits or educate the future hospitality leaders of tomorrow, investing in employee development stands as one of the most necessary and highest-impact ways to achieve success.
The Importance of Investing in Employee Development
Investing in employees is essential for the long-term success of any organisation. Employers who invest in their staff reap numerous benefits, including increased productivity, higher job satisfaction and improved employee retention rates.
When employees receive training and development opportunities, they can improve their skills and knowledge, which can ultimately lead to better quality work and increased efficiency. Knowledge evolves. ‘Best practices’ give way to better practices over time as competitive landscapes change. State-of-art technology becomes old and outdated. If you’re not constantly developing, you’re falling behind. Professionals within any organisation have to continually update their knowledge and continue to develop their talents. This can be especially important for companies in competitive industries, where even small improvements in efficiency can lead to significant advantages.
Investing in employee well-being is also crucial. A positive work culture and environment can improve overall job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates. Employers can invest in employee well-being by offering opportunities for personal and professional development, as well as creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. People love the thrill of progress and the positive-feedback loop of achievement. No one wants to be stagnant. We thrive on improvement. We want to learn and grow and become better at what we do. Employees whose development is supported and encouraged enjoy much greater job satisfaction. By investing in employee well-being, companies can create a more loyal and engaged workforce, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction and overall business success.
Walking the Talk: Employee Development at AIHM
As a learning institution, AIHM priorities developing its employees to keep up with the ever-changing environment of education. AIHM has committed to developing all employees through its ‘Independent Development Plan’ (IDP) initiative. We set individualised objectives that embrace job needs, contemporary developments in pedagogy, the passions of the employee, and their desired growth trajectory. The IDP also identifies the ways AIHM can support employees to attain these goals and the investments AIHM can make in the employee’s future.
Furthermore, all employees have received training in Safeguarding Our Students and in Equality, Diversity and Equity to support the inclusive environment that is a foundation of the institution. As mentioned above, a positive environment is an essential part of fostering employee development.
Another vital component of employee development at AIHM is our ongoing emphasis on providing training and resources for teachers in order to advance their pedagogical knowledge and strengthen their skills in facilitating digital learning. From flipped-learning classrooms to multimodal learning, digital facets to the student journey are becoming increasingly important. We help our instructors stay at the front of the curve.
Of course, the continuing education initiatives AIHM provides its own employees are tailored to the needs of our organisation, the students we serve, and the individuals we employ. Every organisation’s needs will be different, but every organisation needs to invest steadily and intelligently in its employees’ development. The forms this investment take will vary by industry and team member.
Investing in Your Future
By providing employees with training and development opportunities and a positive work environment, companies can create a more productive, engaged and loyal workforce. Investing in employees is crucial for the long-term success of any organisation. Whether you are a hotel or hospital, a large enterprise or a small business, success requires investment in your team’s development. Continuing education leads improved business performance and significant competitive advantages in today’s market. The business landscape doesn’t stop evolving—neither should you!
Investing in professional development helps your team update their knowledge and skills, paves the way for innovations, fosters job satisfaction and enables employees to grow into new roles. How is your team growing? What additional opportunities can you provide them? What initiatives and investments can take you to where you want to go? Start exploring and taking action today so that you and your employees can collectively reap the rewards.
Executive Education at AIHM
AIHM’s 2-day Executive Education courses cover the professional development topics that help you thrive in today’s hospitality industry and beyond. From Digital Marketing to Revenue Management to Public Speaking, the Executive Education course list offers 15 ways to improve and upskill. Explore our continuing education courses now.
