Follow these 3 easy steps to secure sponsorship from your employer for continued professional development (CPD).
Many employers recognize the benefits of providing ongoing development to their top performers. After all, education doesn’t stop just because you've graduated college or landed a new role. The data is clear: investing in your employees’ continued professional development (CPD) creates an upwardly mobile workforce, increases productivity, and maximizes the employee’s value to the organization.
While some companies fear employees becoming a flight risk, leaving their employer high and dry with the bill for their continued development, the contrary is actually true: Employees leave companies because they want to learn, grow, and be challenged. Thus, when employers sponsor their employees’ career development, they become more satisfied with their work and are less likely to leave their company. In fact, according to a 2019 LinkedIn Workforce Learning Report, a staggering 94 percent of employees say that they would stay at a company longer if it simply invested in helping them learn and grow.
Considering that one cause of employee burnout is employers glossing over professional development for employees, providing opportunities for continued learning amidst The Great Resignation and projected continued economic downturn might be a more pressing issue than many employers realize.
1. Start the conversation with your manager.
In a perfect world, employers would proactively take an interest in your continued career development. If this isn’t the case, initiate a meeting with your manager. Here are some tips to prepare to ensure the conversation goes in your favor:
Have an agenda for the discussion in writing and bring it with you (or keep it handy) so you don’t forget any important points.
Keep your communication clear, concise, and polite. While you are asking for sponsorship for something that benefits you, your continued professional development also greatly benefits the company, so they have a dog in this fight, too.
Avoid any negativity in your pitch. For example, if you are frustrated about certain pain points in a particular process associated with your role, avoid complaining about them. Instead, connect the benefits of CPD (and the initiative you are requesting they sponsor) to improving the challenges you currently face in the organization.
2. List the specific skills you will develop and how they relate to your role and career goals with the organization.
Explain in detail what makes the program you’re considering beneficial as it relates specifically to your role, but also how it will benefit the company. Your boss is more likely to advocate for a development budget for you if you can clearly show the return on your company’s investment.
For example: If you are taking a business writing class, explain how this new skill can help you streamline RFPs and generate more sales leads.
If you are taking a class to improve in Microsoft Excel, explain how you will streamline and improve on reporting and avoid costly, time-consuming errors.
If you’re requesting one-on-one leadership coaching, explain how you will learn to navigate conflict management and play a direct role in building a positive company culture which will improve employee morale and lessen turnover rates.
While career development is personally beneficial, the reality is, your company benefits from your continued development, too. When requesting your employer invest in your development, it will be critical to clearly articulate how and why it will benefit the company.
3. Use data to support your request.
By supporting your professional development, your company is investing not only in your professional competencies but ultimately in their own business needs. Bolster your proposal for career development sponsorship by sharing reputable data on the proven benefits of career development. Here are just a few (that you will want to tailor to your specific request and role within the organization):
Employees who are provided with training as part of their careers will feel valued and inspired to put their new skills into practice.
Employee development that focuses on problem-solving will promote more analytical and critical thinking, reducing risk to the company and improving problem-solving abilities.
An employee who is satisfied with their work is also more likely to help with problem-solving and is less likely to leave their company, limiting any employee turnover concerns.
Development equips and empowers future leaders to take on new, challenging roles with confidence and clarity.
Employee development encourages ownership of roles and responsibilities, driving more productivity.
Career development enhances communication and collaboration among teams, improving company culture and employee retention.
Development can identify and improve upon weaknesses such as time management, indecision, inexperience, and more, which if left unaddressed can cost the company time and money.
Career development can facilitate self-mastery and improved emotional intelligence, necessary for developing the future leaders of the organization.
Bottom Line
Unless your organization has established a defined process for requesting sponsorship or reimbursement for professional development initiatives, your manager will likely be open to the idea of improving your skills and abilities to add value in your role and to your organization. They may request more information or have you fill out a form, or at worst, decline your request. But the answer is always no if you don’t ask. And because most forward-thinking, successful companies take employee development seriously, your employer would be remiss not to consider your request to become a more valuable team member and develop additional leadership skills.
Whether you or your employer pays for your continued professional development, it’s important to recognize the importance of investing in yourself and the wide-reaching benefits it can bring to you professionally and personally.
If you want to expand your expertise and reach peak performance as a forward-thinking innovator in Corporate America today, ExecTrek™ can help. Discover how to zero in on behaviors that can impact business and propel you forward even during times of uncertainty. From communication and time management to decision-making and image optics, RC3 Partners provides transformational Executive Coaching and Leadership Development to leaders seeking their competitive edge. Contact us today to learn more.
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