The question as to who should be responsible for an employee’s professional development is an easy one to answer; it is the Employer. However, the challenges of today’s business climate make the reality of answering the increasingly more complex and difficult for most companies.
Long-term individual development is still the responsibility of the potential employee. But once the individual has been hired, professional development becomes the responsibility of the organization. Although the employee was hired with a certain set of knowledge, skills and abilities, if the roles and responsibilities of the position change—and they will—the employer has a “corporate social responsibility” to invest in their human capital. Employees are investing in their companies by working longer hours, by handling evolving tasks and assuming increased responsibilities. Is it fair to expect the employee to also assume the cost of their professional development?