Part of the employee lifecycle — the Develop stage. This is a strategic framework overview; the detailed how-to lives in the clusters it links to (employer operations, HR metrics, templates, hiring process and more).
This framework page links to development plans, goal-setting and the development metrics that track whether growth is actually happening.
Why it matters
Development supports both performance and retention: people who can grow tend to contribute more and stay longer, and internal growth eases external hiring pressure. It also builds the bench that succession relies on.
Without it, capability stagnates and your best people look elsewhere to grow.
Objectives
- Make development deliberate, not incidental.
- Tie growth to the role and the person’s goals.
- Provide time, support and visible opportunities.
- Track that development reaches everyone, not just a few.
Common challenges
- Treating development as occasional training.
- No time allocated, so plans never happen.
- Uneven access across teams.
- Measuring activity (courses) rather than capability or mobility.
Key activities
- Agree a development focus with each person.
- Turn it into concrete actions and milestones.
- Provide mentoring, stretch work and resources.
- Review progress and connect it to the next role.
Best practices
- Connect development to goals and reviews, not a separate ritual.
- Allocate real time and support.
- Track equity of access, not just volume.
- Pair activity with outcomes (capability, internal mobility).
Common mistakes
- Confusing course completion with capability.
- Plans with no time or owner.
- Only developing a favoured few.
- No link between development and real opportunities.
Measure this stage with the employee development metrics metric, put it into practice with the employee development plan template, and run it as a system via employee development plans.
Free, printable HR resources
Lifecycle work runs on practical resources. These are free and ungated — no signup.