Nurture your team with a B2E development programme

Organisations with strong development programs see 34% higher retention rates for employees who feel invested in personal and professional growth. By investing in development programs, your brand will develop loyal, skilled employees. Here’s how to create a nurturing B2E development programme…

When considering your B2E development programme, think about your overall goal. Perhaps, you’re looking to improve team performance or build trust on a social, emotional level. Start by asking your employees what they want out of a training programme. Conduct surveys and interviews asking what your workers want and need to progress. Asking them directly means you solve employee problems while simultaneously aligning with your business goals. Gathering insights into your employee personal development will allow you to see skill gaps you need to fill to push productivity further. By developing common goals between employees and the business, you will not only improve personal performance, but overall company development.

Leadership development programmes for current and aspiring leaders are a key example of this. Although on the surface leadership programs are an opportunity for personal development, they can also be utilised to implement new methods of working and rework team dynamics. Introduce new processes that may take longer to implement alongside busy workloads, and new ideas that need time to understand.

By training future leaders early, you’re getting a headstart on team efficiency alongside individual career progression. Offer courses on communication, decision-making, and team management, key skills and values that you need from your teams straightaway. Common training goals benefit both employees and business aims - you’ll be able to improve overall performance and employee skill sets with one stone.

Team development is equally as important as personal development and business aims. Building a strong team that grows through social engagement is essential in leading a strong collaborative effort. A mentoring and coaching programme is a great way to achieve this. The programme could involve pairing employees as they work through a range of activities and workshops together - all sharing knowledge, providing guidance and learning how to support one another.

Choose a memorable location, away from the office, that will stick in the minds of your team long after the experience has ended. For Deloitte’s Analyst Induction Programme, we host the B2E experience against the backdrop of Westminster to create a memorable, photographic moment for delegates.

It’s good to mix your team interactions based on skills and competencies. Identify key roles that would benefit from working outside their comfort zones and get them to interact with people they wouldn’t normally in the business. This will help with mentoring, problem-solving and communication issues, as well as build comradery. Team-building exercises such as role-reversals, mock assignments and briefs will help your teams learn from one another and develop practical skills.

Take this a step further by reducing location boundaries by introducing a virtual collaboration element. For Mazar’s September Induction Programme, we connected new starters across London, Manchester & Edinburgh. This meant delegates could engage with leaders and representatives from across the business, and allowed everyone to learn together as a united force.

Ultimately, with a B2E development programme you want to support your employees long-term. Think about their wellbeing and how your programme will help their emotional and mental health. Encourage activities that balance personal and professional lifestyles - integrating mindfulness sessions, fitness programmes, or mental health resources. Offer sessions on financial support, stress management, and conflict resolution - areas that will help you create a healthy work environment.

Share tips on structurally moving up within the organisation, aligning skill workshops with their career aspirations. Doing so will lead to loyal, long-standing relationships. Provide employees with development plans that provide tailored career paths. Tailor the plans to their roles and skill levels, then facilitate networking opportunities with people in similar or mentoring positions to expand employee connections within the business. All this will help your employees in the long run and help you retain long-serving employees.

Click here to look at our B2B experiences that nurture employee growth, team engagement, and common business goals...