Part of the employer operations hub — the operational layer that follows hiring. It builds on the employer resources and connects to the staffing and hiring-process layers of the funnel.
This page covers how to build and run development plans as a repeatable practice tied to performance and retention. It links to the performance and retention pages in this cluster and to the feedback template for structuring conversations.
Who this is for
- HR managers introducing development plans
- Team leaders growing their people
- Operations leaders building capability
- Founders investing in a small team’s growth
Why it matters
People grow with intention or they stagnate by default. Development plans make growth deliberate and visible, which supports both performance and retention.
They also build the capability the organisation needs next — feeding succession and reducing the need to hire externally for every step up.
Core concepts
A development plan pairs the individual’s aspirations with the organisation’s needs, expressed as a few specific, time-bound goals with support and check-ins — not a long wish list.
Development is broader than training courses: stretch work, mentoring, feedback and new responsibilities often grow people more than formal learning alone.
Process overview
- Discuss aspirations and where the role can grow
- Agree a few specific, time-bound development goals
- Choose the methods — stretch work, mentoring, learning
- Define support and who owns it
- Check in on progress regularly
- Revisit the plan as the person and role evolve
Plan the hires this work depends on with the recruitment planning checklist, and keep selection consistent using the candidate screening checklist.
Common challenges
- Vague intentions with no concrete goals
- Plans that list everything and achieve nothing
- Development reduced to a training catalogue
- No check-ins, so plans stall
- No link between development and the role’s needs
Best practices
- Set a few specific, time-bound goals
- Blend stretch work, mentoring and learning
- Tie development to role and progression
- Agree support and ownership
- Check in on a regular cadence
Common mistakes
- Writing plans and never revisiting them
- Overloading a plan with too many goals
- Equating development with courses only
- Leaving support undefined
- Disconnecting development from the role
Operational checklist
- Discuss aspirations and role growth
- Agree a few time-bound goals
- Choose development methods
- Define support and ownership
- Schedule regular check-ins
- Revisit the plan as things change
Use the performance review template to standardise the paperwork, and the employee retention strategies and onboarding guide for the people side.
Free, printable operating resources
Plan, hire and onboard consistently as you build your workforce systems. No signup, no gating.