Professional Development Examples

 Continuing Education.
 Participation in professional organizations.
 Research.
 Improve job performance.
 Increased duties and responsibilities.
 Approaches to professional development:
 Skill Based Training.
 Job Assignments.

Achieving success in your career requires ongoing training and education, which is where
professional development comes into play. Also known as continuing education and professional
learning, professional development is designed to teach workers the skills needed to succeed in their
respective line of work. Professional learning is more than just training, however, and it's important
for employers and employees alike to familiarize themselves with the nuances between these two
terms. Today, we'll take a closer look at what is professional development.

What Is Professional Development?

Professional development refers to all training, certification and education that a worker needs
to succeed in his or her career. It's no secret that different jobs require different skills. Even if a
worker currently has the necessary skills, he or she may need additional skills in the future. Through
professional development, workers can learn these skills to become better, more efficient workers.

While job training is an essential part of professional development, this concept covers all forms of
education and learning that's intended to help a worker succeed. Other examples of professional
development include college studies,  online training programs , industry certifications, coaching,
mentoring and consultation.

Benefits of Professional Development for Employers

Employers can benefit from professional development in several ways. First, it promotes higher
employee retention rates. Statistics  show that the cost of employee turnover is up to 16% of the
employee's annual income. This means an employee earning $100,000 per year will cost the
employer $16,000 if he or she quits. But employers who offer professional development will
encourage employees to stay with their business.

Professional development also signals competency on behalf of the employer. Some industries
actually require workers to hold certifications. And if a worker doesn't have the necessary
certification, it looks bad for the employer -- not to mention the legal challenges it poses.
Professional development, however, can help workers obtain the necessary certification and learning
for their industry.

Benefits of Professional Development for Employees

Of course, professional development is also beneficial for employees. Employees that engage in
professional development will feel more confident knowing that they have the skills needed to
succeed in their line of work. If an employee lacks a particular skill, he or she may question their
work.

Employees will also become better workers through professional development. By learning the
right skills for their career, employees will be more productive and efficient, thus helping the
business for which they work succeed.

Finally, professional development can open the doors to new opportunities for employees. If an
employee is struggling to get promoted to a higher, more lucrative position, professional
development may help him or her secure this promotion.

What Is Professional Development?

Professional development refers to continuing education and career training after a person has entered the workforce
in order to help them develop new skills, stay up-to-date on current trends, and advance their career.
Many fields require professionals to participate in continuing education and ongoing learning, sometimes as a
prerequisite for keeping their job or to maintain their license, designation, or certification. In these cases, the field
likely has specific continuing education (CE) or continuing professional education (CPE) requirements which must be
completed through an approved continuing education provider.
Beyond continuing education, professional development can refer to many different types of relevant educational or
training opportunities relevant to the professional’s work. Even when not required, many professionals who want to
excel in their career will voluntarily seek out professional development and learning opportunities.

Why Is Professional Development Important?

The truth is, many people aren’t investing in their career development. One-third of employees say they do nothing to
upgrade or improve their current skill set. These people aren’t too worried about their future career. Many may be
good at their jobs, too, but they’re either content where they’re at or just aren’t worried about their professional future.
This means by taking advantage of professional development, continued education, and planning for your career,
you’ve already got a leg up on a third of your peers. Because you’re going for it and taking ownership of your career,
you’re much more likely to achieve success and meet your goals.

What Is the Purpose of Professional Development?

The purpose of professional development is to give professionals the opportunity to learn and apply new knowledge
and skills that can help them in their job and further their career. Professional development is all about building your
skill set and knowledge base for your field.
And professional development isn’t just helpful for you — it’s helpful for your employer, too. By having opportunities
to learn, increase your skill sets, and stay up-to-date on industry trends, professionals like yourself increase your own
worth while also adding to your company’s overall value.
Professional development and professional training opportunities provide many other specific benefits for both young
and experienced professionals. Some of these benefits are listed below, but this list is by no means comprehensive.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Development?

Professional development and continual learning will provide multiple benefits to every professional who actively
engages with these opportunities, but many of the benefits of professional development will depend on the
professional’s specific career goals.
Benefits of professional development include:
1. Professional development expands your knowledge base. Professional development and continuing
education opportunities can expose both young and experienced professionals to new ideas, solidify their
knowledge, and increase their expertise in their field. Those who actively seek out these learning
opportunities are those who will benefit most from them.
2. Professional development boosts confidence and credibility. By increasing professionals’ expertise through
professional development, their confidence in their work will increase as well. No one likes to think they’re
missing important skills in their industry. Professional development courses, continuing education, and
training opportunities allow professionals to build confidence and credibility as they acquire new skill sets
and professional designations.
 3. Professional development increases earning potential and hireability. Professional development and
continuing education offers both young and experienced professionals with opportunities to boost their
earning potential and future hireability by increasing their knowledge and updating their skill sets.
Professional credentials, certifications, and designations — most of which can be accessed and obtained
online — also provide easy ways to increase a professional’s value. Professionals with the right skill sets
who seek out and take advantage of upskilling opportunities are certainly more bankable than those who
don’t.
4. Professional development can provide networking opportunities. Many professional development
opportunities such as workshops, conferences, and other networking events allow professionals to branch
out and meet other people within their industry who may be able to help them with career opportunities in
the future. When you decide you want a change or are ready to move up in your career, your professional
network and the professional relationships you forged will come in handy.
5. Professional development keeps professionals current on industry trends. Professional development and
continuing education and learning opportunities are great ways to stay up-to-date on industry knowledge
and trends. Every professional industry is constantly evolving, so employees should use professional
development and training opportunities to expand their knowledge base, learn new practices and
techniques, and embrace new technology.
6. Professional development can open the door to future career changes. For professionals who are looking to
make a complete career change or to pivot within their industry, new skills acquired through professional
development training could be critical to opening new doors within their field or to transition to a new
industry.

What is the importance of professional development?

No matter what industry we work in, all of us are expected to continue learning about our field and doing our jobs to
the best of our abilities. The marketplace, the employees you're tasked with leading, and the customers you'll interact
with are always changing. As the worldwide business landscape evolves, so does the importance of professional
development programs.
Engaging in professional development training ensures that both academic and practical qualifications do not
become out-dated or obsolete; allowing individuals to continually ‘up skill’ or ‘re-skill’ regardless of occupation, age or
educational level.
Well-crafted and delivered professional development ultimately delivers benefits to the individual, their profession and
the public. The process is usually an ongoing one, since the ever-changing dynamics of the market constantly
demand that employees keep their knowledge base properly updated.
The importance of professional development is to:
1. Demonstrate an ability to self-improve
2. Keep qualifications up to date
3. Stay on top of the latest developments
4. Ensure your capabilities maintain the same standards of others in the same field.
5. Ensure you maintain and enhance the knowledge and skills you need to deliver a professional service
to your customers, clients and the community.
6. Uplevel a CV
Those who require professional registration, such as registered nurses and doctors, will typically be required to
undertake Continuing Professional Development, or CPD, as part of the registration renewal process. An individual’s
professional or regulatory body will provide details on the standards that must be met, including how many hours of
learning must be undertaken, in what setting and how it must be recorded. Often some form of professional
development is mandated by codes of conduct or codes of ethics, but is mostly a personal responsibility of
professionals to keep their knowledge and skills current.

How can professional development help your career?

Engaging in self-development activity helps you to demonstrate a willingness and ability to improve skills, identify
knowledge gaps, and invest in your own career, while giving you the opportunity to progress to a new specialism
without the commitment of full time education. Professional development courses and other forms of training can help
target the specific skills employers are looking for, helping you upgrade your CV and toolbox in order to stay
competitive in today’s ever-changing job market.
Undergoing regular professional development shows a clear commitment to self-development and professionalism.
Simply put, the CPD process allows individuals to become conscious and proactive, rather than passive and reactive
in their own learning and to resolve these in a recognisable approach to improvement. It helps you manage your own
development on an ongoing basis. Its function is to help you record, review and reflect on what you learn.
The professional development framework has three complementary purposes:
 to enable you to develop your knowledge, skills and experience for your present role and any potential
future roles
 to demonstrate to your employer that you have planned, updated and maintained your knowledge, skills
and experience in a structured manner
 to provide a means for your employer to demonstrate that you are professionally competent. This
information is recorded in a retrievable manner 
The professional skills and knowledge you require will vary considerably, depending on your professional role and
discipline. It is for you to decide the areas of skill and knowledge that are relevant to your role. As your career
evolves, your skills and knowledge needs will change and your professional development will help you steer and
manage your own route into the future.
Importance of professional development programs
Many employers shy away from professional development programs, thinking they are unnecessary. However, there
are several ways these programs can benefit not just your employees, but also your business.

Employee knowledge and advancement

Beyond the benefits of supplemental training for one’s job, professional development enhances an employee’s value
and ensures they remain relevant in their career field, said Steve Smith, founder and CEO of GrowthSource
Coaching. Professional development can also involve an employee becoming certified in a field complementary to
their current position.
Development certification is one way for staffers to demonstrate they can perform bigger and better things, upping
their value to their employers and the workforce in general. 
“Becoming irrelevant is the fastest way to lose your job or, if [you own] a company, have your business decline,”
Smith said.

Employee job satisfaction

According to Smith, many people pursue professional development to bolster their confidence in what they do at
work, “which is a noble reason to continue to develop yourself.” This confidence can translate into higher overall job
satisfaction, which in turn increases employee performance, productivity and morale.

Employee retention
Businesses that do not offer career-building educational opportunities for their staff tend to see greater employee
turnover than those that do provide those resources. Miner said that disinterest correlates to “why companies are
finding hiring and retention so hard. They are not investing in professional development, and employees leave.”
Interesting, challenging and career-enhancing education is becoming an employee “expectation,” said Hawter.
Companies that don’t invest in a culture that prioritizes educational training programs for their staff run the risk of
losing them to employers that do.
Key takeaway:  Professional development programs improve employees’ knowledge, skill sets and job satisfaction,
resulting in higher employee retention.

Employee professional development ideas

As team members, your employees can work both individually and together to reach a common goal. The personal
growth of each employee contributes to the success of the entire business.
According to Adrian Ridner, CEO and co-founder of Study.com, the acknowledgment of an employee’s talents and
successes in fulfilling their job responsibilities builds their confidence, which increases employee retention and
morale. 
An Akumina study showed that millennials tend to favor moving from one job to another. Empowering employees,
especially younger workers susceptible to job hopping, to succeed in their current roles and ultimately move up could
reduce this turnover.
There are numerous ways for employees to pursue professional development. Follow these steps to find the program
– or combination of programs – that works best for your team.
1. Consult employees about their developmental needs.
Addressing skill gaps among employees is essential for business owners and managers. You and your team
managers or HR representatives should meet with your employees regularly to discuss each one’s job performance
and areas where professional development would benefit them and the company. The conversation should include
suggestions for improvement, showing the employee the company cares about them and their future.
Additionally, bouncing professional development ideas around the office empowers employees to play an important
role in the program while encouraging personal and professional growth.
“Creating a culture of learning in the workplace is a shared responsibility,” Ridner said. He added that employees
should feel free to suggest academic or professional development programs.
2. Form partnerships with other companies and industry speakers.
Businesses should consider forming partnerships or provide access to workplace education, like online lessons and
in-house training sessions, Ridner said. You could also turn to online industry offerings or connect with experts in
your field.
3. Use technology to your advantage.
It’s crucial for employees to keep pace with societal and technological developments. Since rapid technology
advancements impact most industries, professionals armed with diverse skills and abilities offer more flexibility and
value to employers than those whose learning has stagnated.
“With the advent of technology and online learning, it’s easier and more inexpensive than ever to foster a culture of
learning in the workplace,” Ridner said.
4. Create an internal mentorship program.
According to Ridner, employers should arrange brainstorming groups or mentorship programs to help staffers
connect with one another. For example, Study.com organizes 24-hour “Rockethons,” during which the company
forms small teams to discuss ideas, create prototypes, improve tools and more. [Read related article: How to Find a
Mentor]
5. Start an ongoing lunch-and-learn program.
Get an expert speaker or knowledgeable team member to teach your employees in an informal lunch setting. The
expert can present to the team, and then employees can engage in a creative discussion with the expert, gaining
front-row knowledge on a specific topic. This is a great monthly event that can help educate employees without
taking up too much of their time. Many companies pay for lunch for the employees to eat while listening to the
speakers, which gives staff an incentive to come and an even more positive association with the sessions.
7. Encourage active participation.
While some staffers welcome professional development opportunities, others might be reluctant. As an employer,
you should encourage educational pursuits in and out of the workplace. You could also organize initiatives to
stimulate new ideas.
Key takeaway:  Consult your employees on which professional development programs sound most helpful to them.
Some ideas are lunch-and-learns, industry expert speakers, online courses, and/or internal mentorships.

What Is Employee Development?

Employee development — often referred to as professional development or staff development — is the process
during which employees, with the support of their employer, go through professional training or pursue learning
opportunities to improve their skills and grow their knowledge and careers.
Professional development does not refer solely to optimizing an individual’s skill set for a particular role. Rather, it
refers to continued learning that nurtures professionals and helps them progress on their individual career paths.
While it’s ultimately the individual’s responsibility to own their professional development, it’s to the employer’s benefit
to encourage continuing education by providing or facilitating both internal and external learning opportunities.

Prioritizing employee development ensures that team members’ skills continue to evolve in accordance with industry
trends and best practices. Think of medical professionals, who are required to retake board certification exams every
few years to make sure their skills are still up to snuff.
 
Why Is Employee Development Important?
Employers who invest in staff development help their employees hone strengths and grow skills, which better equips
them for their current roles. This adds more value to the work they do and directly benefits your business.
Perhaps more impactful, though, is the value employees and job seekers place on development opportunities when
considering offers. Making learning and development a focus of your company culture helps improve employee
engagement, increase retention and attract elite candidates. Take a look at these six reasons that further prove the
importance of employee development. 
 
Employees Leave For Lack of Career Growth
No one wants a dead-end job at a company that doesn’t value its people. Record numbers of employees are
currently leaving their jobs in search of better work-life balance, pay and benefits, which has been coined the Great
Resignation. Another reason why employees are quitting jobs is due to lack of professional development
opportunities. In a fall 2021 report by Monster, 45 percent of surveyed employees said they would be more likely to
stay at their current jobs if they were offered more training. Develop your employees’ careers, and they’ll reward you
with improved performance and higher retention.
 
Professional Development Is the Most Important Benefit for Retention
Employee development is a long-term investment that can help retain and grow your talent. With 55 percent of
Americans considering looking for a new job in the next 12 months, according to Bankrate’s August 2021 Job Seeker
Survey, dedicating resources to employee retention is more important than ever. 
 
Employees Need Professional Development to Reach Their Full Potential
According to ClearCompany, 74 percent of employees say that a lack of professional development is preventing
them from reaching their full potential. With only 29 percent of organizations with clear learning and development
plans, many employees are set up to feel undervalued and underdeveloped will inevitably result in a disengaged
workforce and high turnover rates. Investing in employee development not only allows your talent to feel good about
growing their skills, but these learning opportunities can also translate into integral promotions that allow you to retain
top talent.
 
Most Employees Would Stay at a Company That Invests in Staff Development
If companies invested in staff development, 94 percent of employees would stay longer, according to Clear
Company. Employee development is an attractive employee benefit. If you don’t start investing in your team and
developing your employees, they’ll find someone who will.
 
Employees in Training Courses Are More Productive
Learning and development opportunities improve productivity. It’s as simple as that. Allowing employees to build their
skills and knowledge increases their confidence, allowing them to complete work more efficiently and effectively,
according to Indeed.
 
Companies That Invest in Employee Development Are More Profitable 
Not only employees who particiapte in professional development more productive, employee development also
boosts profitability. When companies offer comprehensive training programs, they enjoy a 24 percent higher profit
margin and have 218 percent higher income per employee than companies without formalized training, according
to Forbes.
Professional Development Plan
A professional development plan documents the goals, required skill and competency development, and objectives a
staff member will need to accomplish in order to support continuous improvement and career development. A
professional development plan is created by the manager working closely with the staff member to identify the
necessary skills and resources to support the staff member's career goals and the organization's business needs.
Professional development for staff members begins when a new member joins your team. In addition, all staff
members should have a "living" professional development plan in place. Planning should not take place only after an
staff member is identified as needing improvement. Professional development plans should be reviewed on an on-
going basis throughout the year, with at least one interim review discussion between the staff member and supervisor
prior to the end of the yearly performance review period.
Professional Development Planning Steps
Use the following steps to create a professional development plan with your employee. Feel free to use the example
professional development plans (listed above) to assist you in the process.
 Step One: Request a self-assessment from the staff member
 Step Two: Develop your assessment of the individual's skill level
 Step Three: Assess the department and organization's needs
 Step Four: Explore development opportunities with the staff member
 Step Five: Record and analyze the staff member's progress

What is personal development?

Personal development is looking inward and focusing on ways to better yourself. Personal development
increases your self-awareness, your self-esteem, increases your skills, and fulfills your aspirations.   
It is the act of looking inward to achieve a purpose or result, especially in the  pursuit of clarity, purpose, and
passion  in life. 
Personal development is much larger than just career development  or self-development. It encompasses all
aspects of your life where you’d like to see personal growth — and it doesn’t discriminate on where it shows
up for you. 
5 areas of personal development
When it comes to personal development, it’s hard to not reference Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. According to
Maslow, your basic needs need to be fulfilled in order to reach your fullest potential. In other words. To  reach
self-actualization  means we’re reaching the highest levels of self-awareness , self-confidence , personal
growth, and self-realization. 
Much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we see five different areas of personal development. Different
personal development goals can fall into different categories. 
Mental 
Exercising your brain  and staying mentally fit  is critical to personal development. At BetterUp, this comes to
life in a few ways: coaching, learning opportunities , and career growth. For example, right now, I’m taking a
creative writing course to help keep my mental creative muscles going strong. (And BetterUp foots the bill as
part of our learning stipend.) 
Mental development can be anything from workshops, training sessions , or even just rest. Rest is just as (if
not more) important than mental exercise. And as your mental fitness improves , so does your resiliency,
innovation, and self-awareness. 
Social 
Social connections  and relationships are also a must-have for any personal development. After all, self-
improvement is not a solitary pursuit. Humans are social creatures — we need that connection to learn and
grow. And from social connections, we gain important skills. Like communication skills , problem-solving,
relationship-building, and the ability to receive (and give) feedback. We also learn from those around us and
their experiences. 
Spiritual 
Personal growth and development — whether you’re religious or not — can come through in spirituality. It’s
important to recognize that religion and spirituality are not synonymous. In fact, far from it.  
Spirituality means you’re investing in a deeper understanding of your own self in the world around you. It helps
you get to know yourself and uncover your values. And in the context of Inner Work®, the spiritual personal
development tool can bring greater awareness to self and change. 
Emotional 
Emotional personal development often goes hand-in-hand with emotional intelligence . At its simplest,
emotional intelligence is the ability to understand feelings. Beyond feelings, it’s understanding how those
feelings shape our thoughts and actions. 
Any number of experiences lends itself to emotional personal development. And those experiences can help
you in your pursuit of self-improvement. Take your own Inner Work® journey  so far. What experiences have
shaped you into who you are today? When you reflect on your journey, what have you learned?  
If you’re looking back at your journey and identifying the growth, it’s likely you’ve fostered a sense of
emotional development along the way. This requires emotional intelligence to understand what role your
feelings and thoughts played. 
Physical 
A healthy body nourishes a healthy mind. There’s an intrinsic link between your physical, mental, and
emotional well-being. 
This aspect of personal development is focused on physical health  — like nutrition, sleep, exercise, and
movement. When your physical self is nourished, it’s likely your mind is also reaping those benefits. Consider
ways you can build this area of personal development and take note of how your body  and  your mind feel. 

OD is the practice of planned, systemic change in the beliefs, attitudes and values of employees for individual and
company growth. The purpose of OD is to enable an organization to better respond and adapt to industry/market
changes and technological advances. In today’s post we will focus on five benefits of OD from continuous
improvement to increased profits.
1. Continuous improvement:
Companies that engage in organizational development commit to continually improving their business and
offerings. The OD process creates a continuous cycle of improvement whereby strategies are planned,
implemented, evaluated, improved and monitored. Organizational development is a proactive approach that
embraces change (internal and external) and leverages it for renewal.
2. Increased communication:
One of the key advantages to OD is increased communication, feedback and interaction within the
organization. The goal of improving communication is to align all employees to shared company goals and
values. Candid communication also leads to increased understanding of the need for change within the
organization. Communication is open across all levels of the organization and relevant feedback is
recurrently shared for improvement.
3. Employee development:
Organizational development focuses on increased communication to influence employees to bring about
desired changes. The need for employee development stems from constant industry and market changes.
This causes an organization to regularly enhance employee skills to meet evolving market requirements.
This is achieved through a program of learning, training, skills/competency enhancement and work process
improvements.
4. Product & service enhancement:
A major benefit of OD is innovation, which leads to product and service enhancement. Innovation is
achieved through employee development, which focuses on rewarding successes and boosting motivation
and morale. In this scenario, employee engagement is high leading to increased creativity and innovation.
Organizational development also increases product innovation by using competitive analysis, market
research and consumer expectations and preferences.
 5. Increased profit:
Organizational development affects the bottom line in a variety of ways. Through raised innovation and
productivity, efficiency and profits are increased. Costs are also reduced by minimizing employee turnover
and absenteeism. As OD aligns objectives and focuses on development, product/service quality and
employee satisfaction are increased. The culture shift to one of continuous improvement gives the company
a distinct advantage in the competitive marketplace.

Organization development (OD) is an effort that focuses on improving an organization’s capability through the
alignment of strategy, structure, people, rewards, metrics, and management processes. It is a science-backed,
interdisciplinary field rooted in psychology, culture, innovation, social sciences, adult education, human resource
management, change management, organization behavior, and research analysis and design, among others.
Organization development involves an ongoing, systematic, long-range process of driving organizational
effectiveness, solving problems, and improving organizational performance. 
Many OD interventions relate to human resource management and talent management. While HR initiatives focus on
people practices, organization development zooms out to consider multiple inputs and tools that cut across the
breadth and depth of the organization. OD is more holistic and strategic whereas HR is operational.
Organizational Development Examples
 Employee training. Employee training is essential, especially in the digital business environment. ...
 Product research and development. The development of new services, products, and ideas can change the
nature of a business. ...
 Cultural change campaigns.

For a business to grow and develop, its workforce must evolve as well. One means of doing that is by providing
employees with opportunities for development that are subsidized by the company. Another method is through a
formal program of organizational development, where the employer provides a curriculum of educational
opportunities to improve the overall skill level of the organization.
Employee Development
 Employee development refers to the resources an employer provides to workers so they can acquire new
skills or accreditations. The employer offers funding or courses as a means to grow employees’ skills and
knowledge, in the hope that the improvement leads to improved efficiency and new ideas for the
business. A common means of employee development is financial support to obtain a degree. About half
of all American workers receive financial incentives to take college courses or obtain higher degrees,
according to a 2008 report in “U.S. News and World Report.” Some employers limit subsidized courses to
work-related classes that would make the employee more valuable to the business.
Organizational Development
 Organizational development is a management planned, entitywide process of organizational evolution
focused on improving a business’s effectiveness and profitability through the application of behavioral-
science knowledge. Organizational development is a function of careful analysis and study of existing
organizational structures and thoughtful consideration of the long-term trajectory of the organization. Only
after these issues are carefully mapped out does the organization take action. Through the adoption of
new practices and using behavioral science techniques, such as behavior modeling, sensitivity training
 and transactional analysis, the business can grow to be better prepared for adapting to an ever-evolving
marketplace.
Development Overlap
 Both employee and organizational development include education as an important component. However,
while employee development allows the worker a certain amount of freedom in choosing what to pursue,
organizational development requires employees to follow a specific plan. Organizational development is
focused on developing the business in specific ways, so the classes available are comparatively limited to
conform to the organization’s developmental goals. While employee development is intended to improve
employees generally, organizational programs are focused on improving workers in specific areas that
would help the overall business.
Risks and Challenges
 Both employee and organizational development share the same three risks of time, money and loss of
employees. Learning new skills is time intensive, which necessarily means employees have less time to
produce for the employer. This means a decrease in productivity in the short-term. Learning new skills
also costs money, whether it is through enrollment in an outside educational institution or through the
purchase or creation of learning materials. Finally, developing an employee’s skill set makes her more
valuable to competitors. This increases the risk that an employee could leave for other opportunities,
which would represent a loss of investment for the employer.

How Investing in Employee Development Can Lead to Organizational Development

Employees are seen as the building blocks of any organization of today. If the employee does well in his or
her day-to-day work activities then it has a positive impact on the organization and as a result, the company
as a unit can also do well. It’s all about identifying gaps and investing in the right kind of skill sets to
enhance the performance of the employee. 
Whether it’s employee development or organizational development, education remains one common factor
between these practices. The difference would be that while an employee may be allowed a certain amount
of freedom in choosing the right development program to pursue, organizational development would require
employees to adhere to and follow a specific plan. 
The objective of organizational development is to focus on developing business in such a way so that
training and workshops are made available and remain in sync with the overall organizational goals. While
employee development is aimed at enhancing overall employee performance, organizational programs aim
to improve the skillsets of employees in specific areas that would enable the company to do better both
short term and in the long run.

What are the Risks and Challenges involved?

It is interesting to know that both employees and the company share equal amounts of risks. For the
organization, both money and high attrition levels are of concern. While learning new skills is time-intensive,
employees have even less time to showcase what they have learned. During the learning phase, the
company would experience lesser productivity and higher costs due to the money spent to meet the costs of
training and workshops or to hire external entities, or procure learning material. If the same employee
leaves, that could turn out to be a loss for the employer.