Home-grown leaders instil greater confidence in staff

According to a report by talent management company Taleo, internal promotions are key to retaining staff and the development process should be applied via a mix of independent learning and senior support.

More than 1,000 employees from UK businesses took part in the study but only half had leaders who were promoted from within, one third of whom were identified through leadership training programmes. And the study shows employers that implement a visible career development programme will have more committed staff.

Vice president of Taleo Alice Snell said: "Employees want a robust leadership development programme with obvious strategies for progression. Feedback found they had an interest in self-service learning as well as the need for a mentoring system."

Regular appraisals are favoured by 74% of employees who want guidance on training and promotion. This can benefit both the company and employee by highlighting the skills of an employee and matching it with a suitable position.

When asked about their feelings towards their CEOs and senior management, 38% of employees said they are confident they can carry them through the recession. About 35% said their managers really push the companies' goals and objectives and only 31% said their leaders make it clear what everyone's role is within the company. To restore employee trust, managers are advised to break down hierarchal barriers and work laterally with their staff.

"Organisations need to actively implement career advice and training programmes to help foster internal mobility, which ultimately creates happier, better-equipped and long-staying staff," said Snell. "Two-way communication between management and employee is fundamental and this will instil confidence throughout the organisation."

Taleo approached companies with an average of 1,600 employees or more across a variety of industries for its research.