What does ‘personnel development’ mean?

Strategic personnel development dovetails individual learning paths with corporate goals: With clear objectives, customised measures and a defined development cycle, you increase skills, retain talent and ensure the future viability of your company.

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Max Mustermann

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Personnel development (PD) encompasses all measures aimed at promoting the professional, social and methodological skills of employees. It is a sub-area of human resource management and is used both strategically and operationally.

Example: An individual employee is given the opportunity to prepare for a leadership role through tailored training courses, seminars and mentoring. This turns development into a structured career path.

Personnel development objectives

The aim of personnel development is to align the individual goals of employees with the requirements of the company. This involves:

  • Professional qualification and further development
  • Management development as a key role in the company
  • Improvement of social skills and communication abilities
  • Increasing effectiveness and efficiency in everyday work
  • Retaining motivated employees in the company

 

Targeted personnel development enables problems to be solved before they arise, promotes talent and increases innovative strength.

It also offers employees the opportunity to identify with the company and perform their tasks well.

Measures and methods

Typical personnel development measures include:

  • Training courses, seminars and workshops (internal & external)
  • Digital learning formats such as microlearning
  • Further training for employees through blended learning
  • Coaching, mentoring, job rotation and project work
  • Assessments of various employees to identify development needs

An LMS serves as the basis for these measures.

These various concepts are individually adapted depending on the target group, area of responsibility and career level. They serve to expand the skills of employees and provide them with needs-based qualifications. This significantly improves their qualifications and employability within the company.

Strategic anchoring within the company

Strategic personnel development means viewing it not as a one-off project, but as an ongoing process. It is planned for the long term, closely interlinked with corporate goals and continuously reviewed. HR management plays a central role in this.

Systematic personnel development can be understood as a sequence of actions consisting of analysis, goal definition, planning, implementation and control.

The functional cycle of systematic personnel development consists of five phases:

  • Needs analysis,
  • Goal setting,
  • Definition of measures (creative design),
  • Implementation,
  • Success monitoring,
  • Transfer assurance

The entire personnel development process should be documented and evaluated.

Functional cycle of systematic personnel development

Roles and responsibilities

  • HR & PE managers: Develop the strategy for personnel development, implement focused personnel development measures and define suitable instruments.
  • Managers: Support employees in their day-to-day work, set goals, conduct feedback meetings and regular employee appraisals.
  • Employees themselves should show initiative, ask for feedback and take advantage of development opportunities to further their own development.

This creates a systematic approach to personnel development in which all those involved know and fulfil their roles.

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Advantages of targeted personnel development measures

Targeted personnel development brings numerous advantages:

  • Individual development prospects can strengthen employees’ loyalty to the company.
  • Systematic development leads to a measurable increase in effectiveness and efficiency in everyday work.
  • Motivated employees strengthen the employer brand in the long term through their commitment and willingness to perform.
    Developing employees into managers facilitates succession planning.
  • Improved flexibility within the company, as employees can respond more quickly to new requirements

Companies also benefit when employees are given the opportunity to develop in different areas. This creates a win-win situation for both sides.

Challenges

Typical challenges in the personnel development process:

  • Lack of strategic alignment
  • Low level of involvement from managers
  • Insufficient time, resources or budget

Solution: Personnel development must be firmly anchored in the company and tailored to the needs of the employees.

The structured use of personnel development tools such as competency models, coaches, learning platforms and development plans ensures clarity and effectiveness. Successful personnel development requires a combination of structural framework conditions and cultural openness.

Conclusion

Personnel development is more than just an HR tool; it is a competitive advantage. When employees are supported in line with their needs and developed strategically, both the company and its employees benefit equally.

The prerequisites for successful personnel development are strategic planning, suitable methods, committed managers and employees who want to develop further. In this way, employees can also contribute to the achievement of the company’s goals in the long term.

FAQ

Because it enables employees to perform their roles optimally while ensuring the success of the company.

Personnel development includes training, coaching, mentoring, learning platforms, career paths – everything that empowers employees.

Training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, digital learning formats and more.

Through tailored personnel development, companies secure know-how, innovative strength and employee loyalty.

The phases of systematic personnel development follow the principle: analyse, plan, implement, evaluate.

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