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2023 Professional Development Plan Template
How using a professional development plan template will grow your team’s talent faster.
Businesses don’t grow by maintaining the status quo. Since an organization is only as strong as its people, it follows that business growth is directly related to employee growth.
Professional development is best done in a structured way so individual growth can align with overall organizational growth.
How professional development improves employee well-being
Over the years, the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report has offered incredible insights into what it takes to cultivate and maintain a positive, fulfilling workplace culture.
One of the most consistent takeaways from these reports is that employees who believe their organization is investing in their future are willing to invest back.
In our 2022 survey, “opportunities to learn and grow” ranked as the No. 1 driver of a great work culture. Past surveys have found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.
“A strong career development plan will position you to move further and faster, expanding your definition of success, and empowering you to achieve it on your terms.”
How professional development saves resources
Offering professional development through upskilling and reskilling existing employees can save your organization time and money in the long run.
The cost to replace an employee can be upwards of twice their annual salary, per Gallup.
Upskilling creates a more efficient workforce.
Continually adopting new skills makes your workforce agile in the face of disruption and sweeping innovation.
Why having a formal professional development plan matters
Formalizing your professional development strategy ensures that the skill development offered aligns with the organization's goals and the needs of your teams and individuals.
From a functional perspective, having a templated professional development plan allows you to outline goals, create strategies, and track progress. It also creates a centralized database of training opportunities that can be used to upskill other members of your workforce.
Key components of a professional development plan
Statement of personal and professional goals
Skills and abilities list
Action plan
Progress updates and remapping goals
Investing in both the personal and professional development of your workforce will ensure they feel valued and supported in their growth. Further, any professional development plan should support the growth of both the individual and the organization.
Helpful course:
Coaching and Developing Employees
1.
Statement of personal and professional goals
The first conversation you should have with your employee when mapping out their professional development plan is a listening session where you ask questions designed to draw out what they wish to pursue. This includes both their development in their current role as well as skills they wish to develop that will help them grow into larger roles.
In her course, Defining and Achieving Professional Goals, business professor and best-selling author Dorie Clark cautions against going overboard with a long list of goals. “I'll argue that we shouldn't take on more than two professional goals at once. That's because if we truly focus and move a needle on two big things, you can see progress and results in a relatively short period of time. That creates a virtuous circle of encouragement that enables us to gain momentum and keep going.”
Helpful guide:
Learn how to go skills-first with a skills taxonomy
2.
Skills and abilities list
Determining a baseline of existing skills and abilities is an important step in any professional development plan. This list allows you to identify areas of need and create a strategic plan of action to match skills to goals.
3.
Action plan
This is where you help your employee map the road to achieving their goals.
Training opportunities include:
Structured courses that dive deep into a subject across several classes.
Workshops that focus on a singular component.
Mentorship programs that allow for hands-on instruction within your organization.
It is important to tailor the training to what your employee needs based on their existing skills, rather than shoehorn everyone through the same path.
“You could save a lot of time and money if you take a moment to decide if training is the right solution. Keep in mind that training can only solve the problem if you're missing a KSA: knowledge, skill, or ability.”
Helpful guide:
Learn how to go skills-first with a skills taxonomy
4.
Progress updates and remapping goals
Finally, it is important to view a professional development plan as a living document. This means it should be revisited frequently.
Updates and revisions should include:
Completed training courses
Updates to skills lists as new skills are acquired
Next-stage planning as primary goals are met
Revision of goals or addition of stretch goals based on what’s happening in the employee’s life, within the organization, or within your industry
“I can tell you from my own experience that when you put effort into creating your professional development plan, you'll be more focused and you'll reach your goals faster.”
Professional development plan template
Use this template as a jumping-off point for crafting your own professional development strategy.
Put your professional development plan into motion
LinkedIn’s online learning platform offers everything your organization needs for a modernized employee development strategy that checks every box. Unlock the power of personalized, flexible, skills-based employee development by exploring LinkedIn Learning.
Help your employees develop skills they can use right away.
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