Analytical Graphics Inc.'s (AGI) chief financial officer, William Broderick, is commonly asked how the company can afford the wealth of training and development programs it offers to employees. His standard response is, "we can't afford not to."
AGI leaders attribute its growth rate of more than 33 percent from 2003 to 2004 to a philosophy that considers employees' continual development as vital to the health of the organization. "Our employees build who we are," says Lisa Velte, Director of Human Resources. "They are the DNA of AGI, and their knowledge is our single most valuable asset."
AGI recognizes that its financial success depends upon attracting and retaining highly skilled employees—the best of the best—and ensuring they have the support they need to excel. People come to AGI with backgrounds in astrophysics and high-end computer programming. They're highly aware of the cutting-edge and become restless without new challenges. Providing a rich array of training and development opportunities is not merely optional, but essential to AGI's business. Creating opportunities for employees to grow, then, literally is the engine behind the success of the business—the source of AGI's competitive advantage.
Classroom activities and professional organizations are not the only places AGI employees do their learning. AGI's turnover rates stay low in part because when employees are interested in new opportunities, they have plenty to choose from within the company. AGI's small, informal culture makes it easy to find ways to learn new skills on the job; in 2004, 30 percent of employees took on a new role. Within projects, managers choose their own teams, and as a result, employees gain broader skill sets and the company improves its flexibility to meet business objectives in a highly competitive, rapidly changing field.
More integral to AGI is the myriad of growth opportunities available to employees who request them. At AGI, employees have latitude to seek individual professional development opportunities at local colleges, professional associations, and conferences. "A high percentage of our employees hold PhD's", says Velte. "They love presenting papers—so we give them the support they need to do that."
AGI's training and development programs uniquely fit with its unique brainiac culture, but other organizations can learn from the principle behind AGI's success. By identifying the personal and professional qualities and traits essential to their business, organizations can create programs that support their employees' efforts to thrive in their industry. "We know we can't afford to lose a single of our key developers," says Velte, advising leaders in all industries to identify what people qualities are essential to their business. "Relentlessly support that quality. It doesn't have to be expensive, but employees need to know you care about their success. If you do, you'll see higher productivity, and your people will stick around." |
