Individual Employee Development Plan Template + Guide: Set Your People Up for Success

The first step to building an effective professional development plan is to understand what ‘must-have’ elements your plan should include. These key components ensure your plans are comprehensive and tailored to your organisation's goals and each employee’s individual needs.

Employees want more than just a pay cheque for their labour. They have a vision of how they want to grow in their career and what roles they aspire to fulfil. 

Your employee development plan is their roadmap to achieving these goals and has the potential to help them define what they want to achieve. Establish these goals by: 

• Asking employees to conduct a self-assessment: Encourage employees to reflect on their career aspirations and identify what they aim to achieve in the short and long term. This can include promotions, skill acquisitions or later shifts within the company.

• Having managers provide input: Managers should work closely with employees to understand their ambitions and ensure these align with organisational needs. Regular check-ins and career discussions can help set realistic and mutually beneficial goals.

Before you plan the route to your destination, you need to know your starting location. Helping employees recognise their current strengths is key to creating individualised development plans. 

Recognising strengths also boosts employee morale and helps pinpoint areas they can fill knowledge gaps – or where your organisation can best deploy their existing skills. Help your employees assess their current strengths by:

• Taking an inventory of their skills: Document the skills, experience and qualifications the employee already possesses through skills audits, assessments or surveys.

• Conducting performance reviews: Use past performance reviews and feedback to highlight where employees excel and discover what they enjoy most.

Once you’ve determined their strengths, it’s time to identify the skills and experiences your employee will need to start working towards their professional goals. This enables you to build a clear pathway for development. Establish the skills employees need to develop by:

• Identifying development opportunities: Analyse the job description for the role your employee wants to reach and the skills they will need to do so.

• Conducting a skills gap analysis: Compare the employee’s current skills with those required for their desired role or career path.

Setting specific, measurable objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for tracking progress and ensuring that goals are met when developing employees.

Establish objectives by:

• Aligning development plans with business goals: Ensure objectives support broader organisational goals. This alignment helps employees see the bigger picture and understand how their development contributes to the company's success.

• Scheduling regular reviews and adjustments: These could be monthly or quarterly, depending on the nature of the objectives and the employee’s role.

Your action plan provides accountability and direction by outlining the concrete steps the employee will take to achieve their development goals. Each step should include timelines, instructions and the resources they’ll need at each step. 

Effective action plans often include:

• On-the-job learning: This can include job rotations, mentoring or shadowing experienced colleagues.

• Training programmes: Enrol employees in relevant training programmes, workshops or courses. Consider in-house training, external courses and online learning platforms.

Regular check-ins: Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress and keep the development plan on track.

Manage employee performance

Invest in employee growth – and motivate your people to stick around – with personalised performance appraisal software.

Learn more

All your employees have unique needs, and different types of development plans cater to different employee situations. 

Here are examples of different plans, with insights on when to use them:

• Professional development plan (PDP): Best for long-term career growth, this plan includes setting career goals, identifying required skills and outlining steps for skills development through training and other development opportunities.

• New employee development plan: Designed for new hires, this plan outlines clear expectations and goals for the first 30, 60 and 90 days of employment. It helps new employees integrate into the company, understand their role and get off to a smooth start.

• Performance improvement plan (PIP): This plan is best used when an employee needs support in order to excel in their role, has potential and is committed to improving. These plans identify areas of growth, set specific performance targets and outline actions the employee must take to improve their performance within a set timeframe.

• Succession development plan: This plan prepares employees for future leadership roles within the organisation. Succession planning involves identifying potential leaders, providing them with necessary training and giving them opportunities to develop leadership skills through projects and mentoring.

• Leadership growth plan: Tailored for employees in leadership roles, this plan focuses on developing key leadership competencies. It includes setting leadership goals, participating in leadership training programs and receiving ongoing coaching and feedback.

Want to create your own employee development plans? Customise the template below to create purpose-fit development plans for your team. Consider reviewing and updating the plan at least once a quarter to ensure it stays relevant and reflects your employee’s development needs. 

Employee Information

• Employee name:

• Current job title:

• Department:

• Manager:

• Date:

Professional goals and aspirations

• Short-term goals: (List specific, measurable goals to achieve within the next 6–12 months.)

• Long-term goals: (Outline broader career objectives over the next 1–5 years.)

Current strengths

• Skills and competencies: (Highlight key strengths and areas where the employee excels.)

• Recent achievements: (Outline notable accomplishments and contributions. Example: Strong analytical skills demonstrated when completing [specific project].)

Development Opportunities

• Skills to develop: (Identify gaps between current skills and those needed for future roles.)

• Training and education: (Specify required courses, certifications or learning experiences. Example: Improve public speaking skills through participation in company-led workshops.)

• Estimated costs: (Outline costs for necessary courses and certifications.)

Specific Objectives and KPIs

• Objectives: (Define clear, actionable objectives to be achieved.)

• Key performance indicators (KPIs): (Set measurable indicators to track progress. Example: Increase project management skills by leading three cross-departmental projects this year.)

Action Plan and Next Steps

• Tasks and activities: (List specific actions to be taken, with timelines.)

• Resources needed: (Identify tools, support and resources required.)

• Review schedule: (Set regular intervals for progress reviews and plan adjustments. Example: Enrol in a project management course by [date], complete by [date] and apply new skills to upcoming projects.)

Notes

• Manager notes: (Example: "The employee has shown significant improvement in their analytical skills and successfully led the recent project. Next steps include focusing on developing public speaking skills through workshops and presentations.")

Professional development plans should be a win-win for businesses and employees. When executed well, they boost employee skills and satisfaction, leading to higher productivity and better business outcomes. 

Here are six best practices for creating and implementing employee development plans that benefit both your people and your business. 

Employee feedback is crucial for crafting meaningful development plans that motivate your people. Senior HR Leader Conor Hughes recommends that you "involve employees in planning their goals and needs." After all, employees are more likely to engage with and commit to plans that reflect their personal goals and interests.

Start by promoting open communication and encouraging a culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their career goals and development needs. In feedback sessions, practise active listening and ask employees open questions about their learning journey. 

Consider using surveys and questionnaires to collect data on employee learning and career goals, including their satisfaction with the development process.

To create competitive and competent teams, your plans should identify and offer training to overcome employee skills gaps. But you can’t just assume where your employees are lacking knowledge or experience.

Conduct thorough skills assessments to evaluate each employee’s current skill levels, then compare these with the skills needed for their roles or future positions. You can also consult with managers to gather insights about the skills their team members need to develop.

Self-assessment ensures employees take an active role in their development. Employees also often have insights into their performance that others don’t, making self-assessment key to gaining an accurate picture of their strengths and weaknesses. Provide self-appraisal options like surveys, reflection forms or online tools that enable performance and skills self-evaluation. Then use self-assessment results to drive development discussions during performance reviews.

Balance short-term and long-term goals so employees have immediate objectives to work towards while also keeping their long-term career aspirations in focus. Short-term goals should also contribute towards achieving long-term goals and career progression.

So if a junior engineer aspires to move into a mid-level developer role in the next few years, identify what they can focus on in the current performance cycle to help them move the needle. That may look like taking courses to improve their technical skills and participating in larger, more complex projects. 

Conor emphasises that you "treat development as ongoing," so don't lose sight of long-term objectives once employees have achieved their short-term goals.

Conor suggests that you "monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness of your plans so you can adjust them and improve." This also keeps employees accountable and motivated, as they’ll be more driven to work towards future objectives when they can see the impact of their past efforts.

Feedback sessions should discuss progress and challenges. You should also provide support in adjusting goals according to employee progress and track measurable outcomes and KPIs to measure progress objectively. But don’t forget to recognise achievement – which will help keep employees motivated.

Learning requirements will differ between employees, so be committed to providing the unique resources needed for each team member’s professional growth. These can range from books and online courses to in-house training sessions and mentorship programs. Keeping track of individual training and resources can be a challenge, so look for a training management solution that streamlines the entire employee development process. 

Manage employee performance

Invest in employee growth – and motivate your people to stick around – with personalised performance appraisal software.

Learn more

Development plans ensure your people have clear pathways for their professional development. But there are broader business benefits that provide a compelling reason to prioritise employee development, including:

• Increase retention: As noted, most companies prioritise professional development as a strategy for improving retention. That’s because providing learning opportunities helps keep employees loyal and eager to stick around.

• Improve engagement: A 2022 Gallup report found that only 23% of employees are fully engaged at work. Your development plans are opportunities to win over disengaged employees and ensure engaged team members stay motivated. 

• Boost performance: Over half of employees need additional training to perform better in their roles. As a performance management tool, professional development plans can provide the training needed to improve employee performance and productivity.

• Attract top talent: Eight in ten HR managers believe training is critical to attracting talent, and employees increasingly seek employers who invest in their growth and offer continuous learning opportunities.

• Overcome internal skills gaps: According to Deloitte research, organisations need to invest in employee development to keep their team competitive and operating at its full potential, and development plans can play a key role in this.

• Succession planning: Promoting internally motivates employees and helps businesses maintain their culture. By preparing potential future leaders, organisations can ensure a smooth transition when leadership positions need filling.

Employee development plans are an essential tool for helping your employees grow and boosting job satisfaction, engagement and overall organisational success. By providing clear pathways for career progression, these plans help your team feel valued and that their company is invested in their future.

For companies looking to streamline their development initiatives, Personio offers robust solutions tailored to these needs. Our performance and development software is designed to assist in managing performance, ensuring that your development plans are effective and aligned with organisational goals. 

Book a demo to see how Personio can help you prioritise employee growth while simplifying and streamlining the process. 

To write a development plan, start by identifying the employee's professional goals and aspirations. Have employees conduct a thorough self-appraisal to understand their current strengths and areas for improvement. 

Next, outline specific objectives and KPIs that align with the employee’s goals and the organisation’s needs. Create a detailed action plan that includes steps for skill development, training opportunities and regular check-ins to monitor progress.

A development plan includes several key components: professional goals and aspirations, current strengths, development opportunities, specific objectives and KPIs and an action plan with next steps. 

Each section should be detailed and tailored to the individual employee’s needs. Establish regular review periods to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. 

Some examples of development plans include: 

• Professional development plan (PDP): Focuses on long-term career goals and the skills needed to achieve them.

• New employee development plan: A 30-60-90 day plan for new hires to integrate into the company.

• Performance improvement plan (PIP): Designed to address and improve performance issues.

• Succession development plan: Prepares employees for future leadership roles.

• Leadership growth plan: Targets the development of leadership skills for current or potential managers.

The four elements of a good development plan include: 

1. Professional goals and aspirations to highlight clear and achievable career objectives

2. Current strengths to assess the employee’s existing skills and competencies

3. Development opportunities to identify the training and experiences needed to develop relevant skills and achieve learning goals.

4. Action plan and next steps to create a detailed roadmap outlining the steps to be taken, including specific training, mentorship and regular progress reviews

For more insights, check out Personio’s guide on building effective employee development plans.