8 FREE Employee Development Plan Templates

An employee development plan template is one of the most important things you can incorporate in your organization to retain top talent. Anyone running any sort of team will attest to that because the ability to keep valuable members is much less costly than trying to replace them all the time.

One important stepping stone to achieving retention is employee development plans. Without the prospect of growth, you will not be able to attract or keep team members engaged. In managing your team, considering career advancement is a must, not just for your team’s sake but also for your organization’s.

We here at Teamflect are massive believers in organizations investing in employee development. That is the exact reason almost all of the performance review templates in our performance review template gallery have career development plans at the end. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at some of our free templates that can help!

Integrate Your Employee Development Process Into Your Everyday Operations!

Employee development plans can feel a lot like abandoned New Year resolutions after a while. To make sure you don’t run into that issue, you need to use a performance management solution that lets you create development plans inside your main communication platform. For Microsoft Teams users, that option is Teamflect!

You can try Teamflect for absolutely free and without having to sign-up, inside Microsoft Teams. No time or feature limitations whatsoever.

8 Employee Development Plan Templates

1. Employee Development Plan Template 1:

With this free employee development template, you won’t have to work your way through a complicated and distracting design. What we love about this one is its simplicity and it’s where its power lies.

This allows the individual completing the template to have complete freedom in how they wish to map out their development plans.

2. Employee Development Plan Template 2:

Another version of the employee development template is where you have a little more detail to push you into more introspection regarding your goals and be a bit more specific when it comes to your plan for the future.

Details like resources, time frames, and progress tracking can be found in this template to give yourself a well-thought-out employee development plan.

3. Employee Development Plan Template 3:

This one may not look too fancy but this free employee development plan template will hit all the right notes. This template contains everything you need in an employee development plan for no cost at all.

We particularly like their use of tasks, target ideas, and most importantly, the 90-day check-in section. You might also find this article on a topic that is rather interesting. Click here to learn more about 30-60-90 Day Plans.

4. Employee Development Plan Template 4:

Another format in which you get everything you need is an employee development template. You’ll see everything from career aspirations to current responsibilities, review periods, mentoring, and more. If you want a well-thought-out plan on all levels, this one’s for you.

Specific Employee Development Plan Templates

While the free employee development plan templates we listed above are all very effective and well-designed, they all bring a more generalist approach to employee growth and development.

That is why we wanted to create some templates/roadmaps of our own for more particular and specific situations that may arise in your workplace. So when it comes to specific situations, let’s answer the question: What are examples of development plans?

5. Individual Development Plan

An IDP is more than just an employee development plan. It is a collaborative effort between an employee and their manager in order to improve the skillset, knowledge, and performance of a particular employee.

This template will offer you a simple roadmap to follow when creating an individual development plan for an employee.

6. Leadership Development Plan

Any great leader knows the importance of giving the necessary chance to upcoming potential leaders in their organization which is exactly why this template is essential. A development plan catered to leaders in the making!

What this plan does best is help managers identify key areas of improvement in their direct reports’ leadership skills and build on them!

7. Career Development Plan

We always assume that development plans must be for the managers but that is not a prerequisite. So this one is designed for individuals to be able to map out the next steps for themselves.

8. Succession Planning Template

Succession planning is essential wherever you are. To ensure a smooth exchange you’ll need to plan ahead and this template will help you do exactly that. If you are curious about the topic, we’ve also discussed 9-box grid succession planning at length in previous entries to our blog.

Using the right tools

Employee growth and development isn’t an event. It isn’t an occasion. It is an ongoing process that always has to be on the agenda.

That is why you need to implement a performance management tool that has a tight focus on employee development. While there are many great performance management applications out there, the best option for Microsoft Teams users is…

Teamflect

Teamflect is an all-in-one performance management software designed with complete Microsoft Teams integration in mind. Teamflect isn’t just a platform for project management in Microsoft Teams. It doesn’t just let its users set goals, assign tasks, and exchange recognition inside Microsoft Teams.

It is also one of the best performance review and feedback tools available on the platform. Teamflect’s feedback templates alongside its performance review templates all come with employee development plans attached to them, helping users build their employees up for success!

What Is An Employee Development Plan?

If you’ve made it here in this blog post then it is highly likely you already know what an employee development plan is and why it’s needed. But on the off chance that you may have doubts about them, here’s the just of it.

Employee development plans are a structured approach that aims to create a clear and actionable path to career growth, catered to the employee’s personal experiences. They help create a checkpoint, a benchmark if you will, of a person’s knowledge and competencies, hence creating insight into their performance.

Not only that but using this information, employee development plans offer a path forward and embody a growth mindset, helping employees strive for more in their careers.

How Can You Write An Employee Development Plan?

If you’re looking to create a plan different than the free templates we’ve already provided above, we also wanted to provide you with a little roadmap of our own so that you have an easier time creating your plan. Here’s what to consider;

• Development Needs: You’ll need to conduct an assessment of your employee’s current skills including strengths and areas of improvement. It’s also at this time you will need to inquire about their career aspirations so you can cater the plan accordingly.

• Specific Goals: Setting goals that follow the SMART criteria is especially important to make sure they are clear and concise enough. In other words, they are achievable.

• Action Plan: Once you have the relative data then you can start identifying the next steps ahead to determine training, on-the-job training, or mentoring. Additional resources should also be planned for and allocated.

• Timeline: Your goals and objectives will not be effective unless you create a realistic timeline to put them to use. Set milestones, checkpoints, and schedule reviews in advance to ensure efficiency.

• Evaluation and Recognition: Last but not least, it’s incredibly important to continuously evaluate progress, keep track, and show recognition for achievements along the way to keep your employees motivated and engaged in the process.

Conclusion

Creating an employee development plan template is an important responsibility for leaders who seek to retain their employees effectively. As with any aspect of performance management, a well-defined employee development plan template is essential.

Our collection of employee development plan templates offers the flexibility and structure that you’ll need for efficient career growth. From individual development plan templates on Word to leadership-focused templates, these resources provide a framework for growth.

Embrace the growth journey, and with Teamflect, make employee development an integral part of your organizational agenda!

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