What if Employees Don’t Want to Advance at the Company?

Stagnant employees can be one of a company’s biggest problems, and sticking with them for the long run leaves hiring mangers with an ultimatum – these employees either grow or go.

One discussion at this year’s HR Tech Conference sparked a debate on employees who simply aren’t interested in developing from their role within a company. 

“What if employees don’t want to grow? They like what they do and are good at it. Why do all companies have this underlying mission to develop their employees? Not everyone works that way,” one audience member said. 

Recruiters and hiring managers have always been told to improve employee retention and satisfaction, a role should give team members the opportunity for advancement, but over time, some employees get comfortable with their job because they’re good at it. To them, growth is equated with challenge, time spent to train and learn that isn’t worth the expected dollars wasted. 

A employee who’s resistant to change could be a drain on the company – unwilling or unable to take on new challenges or to learn how to use new tools, a strain on employee morale, and let’s not forget the cost of paying to make a replacement hire. 

Before writing off these team members as bad hires, try these techniques to bring them back into the groove. 

Recognize individual wins with the team

Call out and compliment employees who’ve helped the company reach quarterly goals or whose work stands out more than usual. This technique, when done without echoing favoritism, can motivate other team members to take risks and experience trial and error – a signal that communicates an effort to improve and develop outside of their comfort zone. Recognize their approach to handling a new task or project, monitor and guide (but don’t overtake) their movement. 

Connect employees with those in your network who may have more experience 

Know someone in your network who could motivate your stagnant employees? Bring them in for a networking event or even a brief chat with the team. Have them share experiences and stories of how they overcame a challenging moment in their career or how they reached their current role at their company. It could be the catalyst that gets team members moving with newfound energy, ideas, and persistence.

Give more responsibility 

Allowing your employees to lead a project communicates you trust their judgement and management skills to make decisions that could either pay off, or flop. Giving employees more responsibility also sends the message that you’ve considered and accepted the risk factor of handing over the lead. By establishing a culture of trust, employees feel comfortable with their decisions and are likely to to experiment, improve communication with their colleagues, push boundaries and create a more dynamic organization. 

Do you think it’s necessary to drive advancement within a company? How does your team actively engage employees to help them develop at their own pace? Share your stories in the comments or tweet us @Entelo!