10 tools for employee growth within the company

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

From corporate library to metaphorical games.

1. Corporate University

Top companies have invested billions of dollars in the creation of their own universities: Disney University, Gamburger University from McDonald’s, P & G Professional University, ABBYY Academia. The Sberbank Corporate University is considered the most famous in Russia.

Education in such institutions takes place in the form of seminars, lectures, trainings - as in ordinary universities. But the direction is purely practical: they teach the internal policy of the company, project management, improve their qualifications at face-to-face meetings and online.

The corporate university is paid for by the company. If an employee decides to interrupt the educational process or quit before the agreed time, he will have to return the money.

2. Affiliate courses

A cost-effective way to train staff. The company concludes a contract with already existing educational centers - universities, schools, courses - and sends its employees to them.

In addition to improving qualifications, this helps to attract new staff and improve the company's image.

For example, ABBYY Academia conducts lectures in cooperation with the Department of Image Recognition and Text Processing, as well as the Department of Computational Linguistics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. ABBYY students and employees study together.

3. Case study or mock study

Theory aside - business schools today teach entrepreneurs using case studies. The training situation helps to develop management skills, to be in the role of a leader. Analytical and critical thinking are touched upon here.

Mock study adapts to each company, turns into business games. For example, law firms hold mock trials and medical centers try to make diagnoses.

4. "Man decisive"

Denis Bakke empowers employees to make important decisions on their own. At the university, he studied using case studies, trained to solve problems. Then he realized that this is the best way to develop. Then he founded two companies - the energy corporation AES and the network of charter schools Imagine Schools - and used his tactics in both. Bakke allowed employees to deal with company development strategies, budget. The experiment turned out to be successful: the business has grown many times over. Bakke described his idea in detail in the book "".

5. Metaphorical game

The idea is simple: we take a real example from practice, a case study, and shift it to a fictional plot. For example, we transfer films, books or games to the artistic world.

First, a problem is formulated, for example, "The client strongly disagrees with the terms of the company." Then the subjects of the game are selected: manager, employees, client. And a plot in which a similar situation was encountered: let's say Tyrion Lannister is on trial in King's Landing.

This method helps to get rid of stereotypical thinking and works like a therapy: in fictitious humorous conditions, tension and negative emotions evaporate, do not interfere with finding solutions.

6. Mobile applications for training

Mobile applications can be useful not only for communication within the company, but also for training personnel according to some given scheme. You can add cases, and exercises to know the specifics of work, and documents with corporate rules, as well as general tasks for the development of team spirit. Texts, presentations, videos, podcasts - any format fits inside.

The application helps to study remotely, in a comfortable environment, without being distracted by anything. There are no time limits: go through everything at once or gain knowledge gradually, for example, read on the way to work. After completing the welcome course for beginners, you can unlock a new level: advanced training.

You can both create closed corporate applications and use those that are publicly available. For example, the free Skill Pill app with exercises and Udemy video courses are available for Android and iOS.

7. Corporate library

In addition to a corporate magazine with news and research, you can organize a subscription to publications on related topics, buy scientific books in your own media library. This is not only about professional literature, books on psychology will also come in handy: how to organize your time, avoid stressful situations, and educate a leader in yourself. Sberbank, for example, has its own publishing house, Sberbank Library, which translates books on self-improvement under a corporate cover.

Library announcements can be mailed to staff to subtly encourage reading.

On the company's website, you can organize an electronic library and add subscriptions to video courses, podcasts and other useful resources available on the Web to it. For example, training videos on Internet marketing from "Netology" or video courses of foreign languages Lingualeo. Educational companies will meet halfway to create favorable conditions.

8. Professional communities

Membership in professional communities encourages you to attend conferences and meetings, learn the latest news and learn about scientific discoveries.

Business ties help create an environment in which exciting topics are raised and discussions are held. The need for constant communication with professionals from the field, the obligation to contribute, push to deep study of topics. For example, medical associations at conferences discuss new drugs on the market, innovative approaches to treatment. In addition to being informative, such meetings stimulate further research.

9. Cooperation with the media

An employee's performance as an expert not only increases the credibility of the company itself, but also helps a person follow the news and stay on top.

You can go further - write an analytical article or lead your own column in some kind of publication, become the editor of a corporate magazine. Like an ordinary journalist, in order to work on an article, an employee must search for information, study many sources, for example, read studies, contact government agencies for clarifications.

You can become a columnist for Lifehacker. We are always open to new authors and unique ideas. If you are ready to give useful advice, share your expert opinion on sports, health, relationships, business and just tell you what can make life even a little easier and more productive, then send your articles to

10. Buddying

This method literally translates as “fraternization”. A supervisor, a more experienced expert from the company, is attached to the employee and monitors his progress, shares advice. Feedback is important here, the ability of one to give an assessment, and the other to accept it. Most often, this method is used to teach beginners. But it can also be used by experienced employees: it can be difficult for all of us to look at our work from the outside, impartially.