The past two years have been challenging for organisations across the board. The pandemic disrupted business models and strategies, and its effects continue to linger. Most significant amongst these has been a seismic upheaval in the employment market reflected in various factors including a sluggish labour market and a smaller pool of available – and willing, talent.

The need to recruit and retain the right employees to help businesses recover and grow has caused many to re-evaluate their approach to everything from improving workplace environments to implementing more robust health and wellbeing initiatives that allow staff to achieve better work-life balance.

Especially integral to this process are effective leaders who are able to call upon a toolbox of skills and abilities that allow them to guide both their organisation and fellow team members toward success. Why? Because those who empower their team, coach to success, and lead by example can transform organisations, enhance value creation, create efficiencies, and engage employees to deliver better results.

So how do you foster great leadership? There’s no doubt that professional development and leadership skills training are central to managers looking to improve their capabilities, inspire their teams, and achieve outstanding business results.

It’s certainly an ethos to which the NOW Finance Group (NFG) is firmly committed. Says Lisa Riitano, the company’s Head of People & Culture, “We firmly believe the success of our business is centered around our employees. While this starts right at the outset with robust hiring processes, we see investment in employees as the key to retaining top talent and building a strong workplace culture.”

Working closely with its training partner, Professional Development Training, in February this year the business launched two 6-month leadership training programs – the Future Leaders Program and its Senior Leaders Program. Developed specifically for NFG, the content of both programs is strongly aligned to its company values and complements what is already a strong training and development philosophy, and Riitano is confident it will support participants on their journey to becoming effective and inspirational leaders.

“We know that providing employees with a strong foundation of professional training, which also allows for personal development, will only further enhance engagement across our teams. The benefits to both employee and business are tenfold – as those strong foundations will pave the way for success at the highest level.”

Key components of both programs include:

• Self-reflection. Participants’ leadership styles are evaluated through a REACH Assessment profiling tool, designed to identify and promote key leading behaviours and allow them to build on their current skillsets.
• Peer-to-peer learning. Each group includes a mix of cross-functional leaders who can share their experiences with each other, outside of day-to-day operations.
• One-on-one coaching sessions with a qualified facilitator equips participants to implement learnings into practice.

NFG’s new leadership programs also serve another equally important function in a highly competitive business environment. Says Riitano, “Leadership training which encourages staff to push themselves to acquire new skills, improve existing ones and challenge the existing status quo, are also essential for companies wanting to remain relevant.”

She adds, “We want people to know that our leadership programs are ‘best-in-class’ and that when they join our business, they’ll have access to training and skills development that will allow them to build a career and achieve their personal best. We see them as integral to our ability to attract, develop and retain our top talent!”.

There’s no doubt the future of work is changing, forcing organisations to be more creative and agile. And it’s here that the benefits of leadership development programs like NFG’s really count; ones that match the work culture and reduce leadership gaps within an organisation, and which motivate employees to collaborate and innovate at all levels – helping them not just to survive, but to thrive.