All businesses want to hire the top talents in their area; however, that is far from where the buck stops. After acquiring the talent, employers must then invest their time and energy in establishing employee development and retention strategies. Here are several ways employers can successfully invest in the development of their employees year-round. Build a Collaborative Culture Quarterly Goals – The fast-paced culture of our society should be applied to all things business. When it comes to setting and discussing goals, it is often easier to measure quarterly progress and is often more encouraging. Have Regular Reviews & Frequent Feedback – Even if only a few minutes long, providing regular reviews helps to establish secure channels of communication for employees to voice their concerns and employers to share praise. It will allow employees to reflect on their work and help employers recognize in what areas their employees are looking to grow. During these reviews, employers should have prepared feedback on all recent work. Use these opportunities as moments for development, and both the employee and employer will look forward to further reviews and feedback. Automate Review Process – Automation has become a crucial part of increasing efficiency. Using automation for the review process helps to cut down the more mundane aspects of the review to allow for more communication time. Prioritize Professional Skill Development Office Mentoring Program – Looking for a way to promote a positive work culture, develop employee skills, and build employee loyalty? A mentoring program can do just that. Offer Tuition Reimbursement – Even partial tuition reimbursement can go a long way for employees looking to continue their education and professional growth. Not only is this a selling point for the best and brightest to join your team, tuition reimbursement increases employees happiness, and company loyalty and increases employees knowledge and strengths. Individual Growth Develop “soft skills” – While the name might infer that these skills are less necessary than others, researchers and scholars alike agree that intellectual skills and know-how play a crucial role in effective leadership and productivity. Building employee’s self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills all play a vital role in improving efficiency, communication, and employee cohesion. Conduct Stay Interviews – We’ve all heard of exit interviews, but how often have we experienced stay interviews? Rather than waiting til employees are moving on to the next position to see what issues they might have encountered, conduct yearly stay interviews to identify company strengths and weaknesses. Not only does this practice make the employee feel valued, but it also helps increase company awareness and employee retention rates. This article was originally published at AliBeheshti.com