As this year is starting to slowly draw to a close, many organizations are gearing up for annual performance evaluations and reviews. Historically, employee performance appraisals have often been viewed as a cumbersome “check the box” yearly task but taking this time as an opportunity to really focus on the growth and professional development of your employees and getting to understand what they truly want can be invaluable to your organization.

Each individual employee values different things in their work lives. Perks such as autonomy and recognition are highly valued for some, while flexibility in schedules and opportunities to work remotely are sought after by others. Another incentive that is proven to build a sense of loyalty and longevity is providing opportunities for growth and development within your organization, which is something that can be factored into annual appraisals with a focus on development and improvement in ways that are mutually beneficial to the employee and the employer.

When your employees are highly engaged and committed to their jobs, they typically strive to do their best and genuinely want to contribute to not only their individual positions, but to the overall success of the organization as a whole. How do you keep that desire for continued commitment going strong, avoiding the inevitable trap of burnout, something that is plaguing the workforce in waves these days, particularly after your employees have been with you for a while?

Work with each employee to develop a plan for professional growth. Sit down with them (at the time of their formal or informal performance evaluation, and informally periodically thereafter) and ask them what their goals are. Where do they see themselves in 5 years? Once the overarching goals are established, determine what you can do to help them achieve those objectives.

Mentoring and coaching with managers and cross training with individuals who hold positions or perform duties the employee would like to work towards are great ways to encourage learning and development. Additionally, this one-on-one training helps strengthen relationships within the company. E-learning opportunities such as certifications and webinars are typically cost-effective methods for learning, and college course work and certifications are other ways to continue building the skills knowledge base of your employees.

Granted, each organization is unique in what would be the best fit from a cultural standpoint as well as financially, but there are so many options to assist your employees in their professional development. Taking the time to help your employees reach these goals is mutually beneficial as is helps you retain star employees and keeps your competitive advantage high in recruiting and is an effective way to keep levels of engagement and morale high.