Own direction
The Dutch employee wants more and more control over their own development. A whopping 75 percent consider it important to have self-direction on a personal development program. But only half (45 percent) experienced enough space and freedom to take this direction in practice.
According to Henk Jan van Commenee, product manager for talent management at Raet, this fits what was predicted as a broader social trend: “You see more and more people want to settle things themselves. There is an aversion, and maybe that's something Dutch that others would tell us what is good for us. We define ourselves. We also see it in education, health care and so on. People like to be the ones twiddling the knobs.”
Partly employees are right about slef-direction, but others are not. “I believe that there is an important role for the environment of a person, whether that is for colleagues or for supervisors. Of course there are thoughs who want full autonomy, but most people benefit from the input of others.” People can achieve this, to some extent. However, it depends on the job: “people in higher segments generally reflect a higher level of future career twists and what steps are needed for this development.”
The role of HR
HR can act as a mirror at all levels. “But there is more to it than this. I think a HR manager must continuously help people think about the changing environment, their impact on their work, and their role in it. Personal development is about what happens in the outside world, and how the individual then compares themselves to their work.”
HR: they take no direction
Although Dutch employees in charge like to have their own development, this is still insufficient according to HR managers. Nearly a third believe that an employees self-determined actions tend to move at an insufficient pace. According to HR managers, there are many different causes for this. According to two-thirds of HR managers, the issue is found mostly due to the lack of focus on day-to-day development, so employees do not accrue development. This is followed by the unfamiliarity of development opportunities (35 percent) and inadequate incentives of the manager (32 percent).
Crazy
But is this not a bit crazy? We have the knowledge to change this, though employees are not improving their own development because of the issues of the day ... Henk Jan van Commenee: “You do have a point somewhere. I think HR succeeds enough to put development on the agenda, and that managers fail to reach their employees about its importance. Despoite this, I believe that most HR professionals have enough of an impact to improve their workspaces.”