It’s no secret that any company whose employees prioritize development is bound to thrive. Setting strategic personal development goals empowers team members, providing a clear roadmap for improvement and individual growth. Alongside employee growth comes increased productivity, performance, and morale, ultimately leading to team success.
As an HR manager or executive, you can contribute to their growth by offering support and development resources, thus motivating them towards accomplishing set goals. In this article, we’ll explore personal development goals for your team’s success, detailing what they are, their benefits, and how to set them.
What are personal development goals?
Personal development goals are specific targets people aim for to improve their general well-being, whether in their personal or professional lives. These goals could span anywhere from career and professional relationships to intellectual development and mental health. Irrespective of their focus, they share one characteristic — intentionally transforming the individual into a better, more productive version of themselves.
While it’s true that employees should collectively work towards achieving development goals, remember that these goals differ from one person to another. One employee may need to improve their networking abilities, while another is better at relationship-building but has a poor work-life balance. In essence, personal development is a journey unique to each employee, and their goals and timelines should mirror their individual needs.
Examples of personal development goals
Your team members can pursue several development goals depending on what area of their personal or professional lives they’d like to improve. In this section, we’ll list and explain nine examples of personal development goals your team members can go after.
1. Better time management
According to a 2022 Timewatch survey, 91% of people agreed that better time management would reduce stress at work. Lack of time management is among the chief causes of stress and unproductivity, making it essential for everyone, from new hires to C-suite executives. With improved time management skills, employees can maximize their work hours and efficiently manage their workload.
Examples of practical time management goals include:
- Take 10-minute breaks after every hour to control distractions like side talks or social media scrolling during working periods
- Complete projects a day before the assigned deadlines
2. Leadership training
Investing in leadership training ensures that your company always has a future and isn’t dependent on a few people alone. Besides preparing for succession, leadership training improves your employees’ problem-solving, innovation, and analytical skills.
Organize regular leadership workshops for upcoming or potential leaders and refresher courses for the older, more seasoned ones. Then, supplement these theoretical classes with practical leadership opportunities like:
- Lead a new division toward boosting sales within a quarter
- Head a group discussion targeted at strategizing for higher productivity and summarize the agreements reached
3. Communication and public speaking skills
Healthy, timely communication improves team dynamics, ensures clarity, and paves the way for achieving effective results. Similarly, strong public speaking and presentation skills are a top requirement for several aspects of career building, including leadership development and networking.
Some goals you can suggest in this area include:
- Regular presentations or pitches in front of clients or the executive board
- Respond to work emails or messages within 24 hours
4. Relationship building and networking
Relationships are crucial for success in the business world; no man is an island. When your employees are skilled at making strategic connections, your business enjoys enhanced visibility, valuable partnerships, and higher profits.
However, it’s important to provide tips for attracting and building connections before encouraging them to participate in social activities to ease them into it. Some goals you could suggest in this area include:
- Attend two networking events monthly and collect a minimum of 10 contacts
- Host a team dinner monthly and send out invites to colleagues
5. Higher emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is necessary for team harmony, irrespective of the employee’s position or job description. Employees who lack emotional intelligence are likely to cause friction and abrasiveness within the team, which lowers its synergy and morale.
Goals for improving emotional intelligence include:
- Listen actively during difficult conversations and apologize where necessary
- Reflect and journal after every workday
6. Healthier work-life balance
Several employees spend an unhealthy amount of time working, leaving no time for their personal lives. As a manager, you can encourage them to lead a more balanced, rested life, thus improving their job satisfaction, efficiency, and overall quality of life.
Examples of goals for a healthier work-life balance include:
- Set aside at least two hours of personal time with family after work
- Define clear work-hour boundaries and avoid taking work-related messages outside these hours
7. Technical skills and knowledge acquisition
In addition to soft skills, your employees need to increase their hard skills and technical knowledge of the job. The more proficient an employee is, the more exceptional and valuable their results will be. So, find out what professional goals and competencies each employee has in mind, then create comprehensive plans to help them reach those goals.
These goals could include:
- Take a professional certification exam within a specified period
- Attend 1 skill-acquisition workshop or conference monthly
8. Health and wellness
Only healthy employees have the physical energy to work, which makes health a priority goal for all teams. Organize occasional health classes to educate your employees and take the necessary measures to help them lead healthier lives.
Examples of health and wellness goals you could set are:
- Visit the gym at least twice weekly
- Utilize company-provided medical insurance for screenings or check-ups monthly
9. Increased financial literacy
Money troubles are bothersome and can distract even the most focused person, leading to errors. With reduced financial stress, employees can concentrate on the job at hand and participate more in company activities without feeling anxious.
Here’s a list of financial goals your employees can work towards:
- Increase retirement contribution by 2% monthly
- Achieve a saving or investment target with a buddy monthly
Benefits of personal development goals for your team’s well-being
Goal-setting allows employees to measure and improve various areas of their lives, and this progressive attitude produces better results. Below, we’ll see five reasons why personal development goals are important to your team members, both individually and as a group.
1. Enhanced skills
Every employee has room for career improvement, and the more skilled they are, the better their work output. With career-related goals, you can assess each employee’s present skills, see where they need to grow, and provide a plan to help them improve. A team that focuses on developing new skills and refining existing ones will be forward-thinking, creative, knowledgeable, and result-oriented.
2. Stronger mental and emotional health
According to a 2022 WHO article, the world loses an estimated 12 billion working days yearly to depression and anxiety at a cost of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. This directly says that constantly worn out and mentally exhausted employees are less productive, leading to inefficiency and lower profit.
Setting goals that target these areas lets you identify each employee’s stress factors and, through thorough planning, lessen or eliminate them. This will create a workforce that’s always at the top of its mental game, ready to think creatively and turn out outstanding work.
3. Higher job satisfaction and engagement
When companies show interest in their employees’ personal and professional growth, they feel supported and valued. This translates to a higher level of commitment and motivation, as most employees are happy to work for companies that care about them.
Moreover, employees learn firsthand how valuable their distinct contributions are when you ask about their goals and match them with the company’s objectives. As a result, they can better understand how they fit into the company and participate more readily in its activities.
4. Employee retention
Personal development and upskilling are strong employee retention strategies because they directly create a more knowledgeable, motivated, and engaged workforce. Showing interest in their growth makes them feel a sense of belonging in your organization, and with this, they are less inclined to leave.
Moreover, by investing in the employees’ careers through training and certifications, their potential for advancement within the company increases, reducing the temptation to seek employment elsewhere.
5. Team collaboration
Communication and conflict resolution skills are a huge part of personal development, and promoting these skills among employees drastically improves interpersonal relationships and bonds. Employees who relate well to each other can better collaborate and collectively achieve the team’s goals.
Also, a shared mindset and joint purpose fosters team unity. By getting your team to work together towards growth and development, you facilitate synergy and collaboration within them.
How to set personal development goals
Successful goal-setting demands equal attention to the process and the results, which means you must understand how to set these goals and guide your team towards them. In this section, we’ll guide you through the process behind personal development goals and give you helpful tips to note when setting goals for your team.
1. Analyze their strengths
The first step to goal setting is understanding where employees have high job performance, what they’re good at, and identifying existing skill gaps. By pinpointing their weaknesses in this initial stage, you can spot where they need improvement. You could use tools like skills assessments, personality tests, and performance reviews for insights into their present state of mind, behavioral tendencies, and job-specific abilities.
2. Set SMART goals
Here, you need to understand their personal and professional aspirations and align them with your company’s broader objectives. For example, let’s say an employee wants to improve their networking skills, and your company needs a wider client base. You could guide this employee to make and maintain stronger connections, with which they can attract more customers for your firm.
More importantly, any goal set here must be SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. We’ll explain each below.
- Specific: You must clearly state and communicate what you want to achieve to the employee and vice versa. This reduces the chances of misunderstanding or vagueness and focuses your plans on a particular target.
- Measurable: Each goal should have a definite way of assessing its progress and completion. Without this, there’s no finish line in sight, which makes assessment or feedback difficult.
- Achievable: Goals should be achievable and realistic. Avoid setting goals that can overwhelm the employee, cause burnout, or weaken their resolve.
- Relevant: Ensure each goal is significant and beneficial to both the employee and your organization in some way.
- Time-bound: Give the employees a realistic timeframe to reach the target. This will increase their speed and pace towards achieving the goal.
3. Plan and strategize
At this stage, you should provide a detailed plan or roadmap that the employee can follow to reach the finish line. Break the large end goal into smaller, easy-to-achieve steps and show them how to implement those simple steps.
Without a roadmap, your employee is left with a seemingly insurmountable goal and little idea of how to achieve it. This is not only discouraging but also reduces their chances of success.
4. Provide resource materials
Next, offer support materials that’ll assist them on their journey. It’s not enough to leave a step-by-step plan; provide resources that extensively cover their area of focus. Whether it’s tutorial videos, books, software, or in-person sources like mentors and coaches, adequate help must be provided to equip them with the necessary information for their journey.
Your company could also offer access to paid certifications, seminars, and training workshops to encourage their growth.
5. Regular support, check-ins, and feedback
Many employers make the mistake of leaving their employees to themselves after providing a plan, but this isn’t the best approach. After providing initial support, it’s important to periodically check in on their progress, note what challenges they’re facing, and offer assistance.
You could also provide feedback, recognize their accomplishments, and adjust the plans to accommodate any new circumstances. This way, your employees feel that you truly care for them, support them, and can return positive, motivated energy.
Importance of aligning with employees on personal development goals
Is it okay to set personal development goals for your employees without their input, and what are the advantages or disadvantages of doing this? To get the best results, you must involve your employees in this process and agree on set goals with them. Below, we explore five reasons why this is important to your team and the organization as a whole.
1. Strategic, clear, and personalized plans
No two individuals have the same needs and pace, so you must tailor personal development goals to the specific employee in question. Consulting them while making plans gives you an idea of their personal needs, dreams, and preferred timelines.
With this information, you can jointly create a realistic, actionable plan that works for them and will produce the desired results for the individual and your organization. You can also respond to their questions and offer advice tailored to their unique situation.
2. Alignment with the organization’s objectives
Personal development aims to refine the employee to improve their performance and the company’s overall results. This means that development goals should simultaneously benefit the employee and align with the company’s needs. By collaborating with employees, you can represent the company’s interests while considering their needs and harmonizing goals to achieve a common purpose.
3. Accountability and increased participation
People are generally happier to participate in activities that aren’t imposed on them, and goal setting is no different. When you prompt employee participation, hear their thoughts, and implement them, they’re more willing to follow your suggested plan and contribute towards its success. By doing so, they can take charge of their growth and work hard to achieve desired goals without being compelled.
4. Employee retention
Lack of support from managers is one of the most rampant causes of employee disgruntlement and quiet quitting in organizations. Making plans for employee development without their input and insisting on absolute compliance communicates little interest in their thoughts and makes them feel unvalued.
In contrast, including them during the planning stage helps them trust that your company understands their needs and appreciates their input. With this knowledge, they’ll be more loyal and committed to your organization and stay invested in their roles.
5. Enhanced communication
When employees freely discuss their development challenges with you, you can brainstorm together towards a solution faster and more efficiently. However, they’ll only be motivated to do so if they’re confident that you’ll listen, empathize with them, and provide support. Involving them in goal-setting decisions shows this support, builds their trust in you as their manager, and encourages them to come forward and communicate when they need help.
How to assess skill gaps and identify goal-setting areas
Setting goals without first assessing your employees’ strengths to see where they need improvement most will leave you directionless. Knowing their strengths and skills helps you make comprehensive, data-backed plans, and Vervoe is a choice solution for meeting this need.
Vervoe is a recruitment and hiring software that uses AI-powered skills assessments to identify candidates’ skills and determine their suitability for a job. With these assessments and accompanying features, you can continuously evaluate your employees to determine what personal development goals they need to work towards.
Vervoe’s rich assessment library has 300+ already-made tests and a question bank with over 300,000 questions for creating custom assessments tailored to the areas you want to assess. For a comprehensive evaluation, these questions come in various formats, including multiple-choice, video, spreadsheets, presentations, and coding tests.
Besides skills assessments, Vervoe provides job simulation features that show you a picture of how employees approach everyday tasks on the job. This lets you have a realistic view of their abilities, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Our platform also uses AI to grade and rank candidates’ performance automatically. This way, you can easily spot the best-performing employees and those who need to improve in specific areas.
Other notable features include question randomizers to prevent cheating, in-app messaging for easier communication with employees during assessments, and branding options to improve the employees’ experience.
Assess your employees’ skills with Vervoe
Encouraging your employees’ development and assisting with their goals heightens their interest in your organization and boosts their results. But before you dive headfirst into goal-setting and planning, you must identify the areas that need work.
Vervoe provides an easy method of handling this task, with a robust range of AI-powered skills assessment and job simulation features. Using these tools, you can accurately evaluate your employees’ strengths and skills and determine their personal development goals’ focus areas.
So, schedule a demo with Vervoe and enjoy fast, reliable, and efficient employee assessments today!
