Developing yourself

We've not set a fixed budget for training per person so will handle request on a case by case basis. We strongly encourage continuous learning to all of our team members, including leadership, and value this very highly in our people.

What do we mean by development?

Personal development is the art of self-improvement. This includes a variety of person factors but in the sense of professional development means growing your skills, knowledge, experience and achievements strategically and purposefully. 

Success is 99% hard work so you can be as successful as anyone else. Hard work means proactively preparing yourself for the next level of your career and being disciplined about this. To achieve this, you should exploit every opportunity to learn.

Learning actives are not just limited to going to training courses. Any of the below can be development. 

• Reading books, blogs or articles on your learning topic
• Listening to podcasts, watching videos or interviews with people in your field
• Conversations with others about your learning topics
• Finding a mentor to share their experience with you
• Getting involved in projects at work

Sharing your knowledge is a great way to learn whilst helping someone else gain experience.

• Volunteering at a charity or social cause
• Becoming a mentor or teacher in your area of expertise
• Running learning workshops on a topic you care/know about 

When is the best time to bring up training requirements?

You don't have to wait for a review to ask for training resources. We can generally purchase the following upon request:

• Books
• Online courses
• Professional Memberships

You can ask HR or your line manager to pay or purchase these anytime by slack, face to face or asking for a chat. Anything less than £100 should usually not be a problem. Anything above that may require a conversation (i.e. Why do you think you need this training? How is it going to develop you?)

How to ask for training courses or conferences relevant to you

To request for a training course, workshop or attending a conference relevant to your role or the business you should speak to your line manager. These types of training events tend to be more costly but investing in your development is important and we want to hear about your needs. 

We will try to approve reasonable request wherever possible. 

Taking ownership in projects

The beauty of working in a Startup is being able to get involved in many aspects of the business. There will always be a requirement for people to take ownership of projects or tasks. And that is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience and grow your skills in areas such as communication, project management and teamwork.

If you have capacity to take on more responsibility speak to your line manager or HR to explore this.

Feedback

Giving and receiving feedback is a critical part of developing yourself. Your team members and colleagues have a great insight into your work and are well placed to seek feedback from. Have a look at the feedback guidelines to learn more. 

Promotion

To be discussed with leadership team