5 Ways mkodo Supports Employee Development

Here at mkodo we take a proactive approach to our employees' growth and professional development. We understand how important growth is, so much so that it’s built into our core values. A recent report, released by TalentLMS found that 76% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that offers continuous training. Making learning and development among the most important benefits when deciding where to work. 

So, we wanted to share some of the initiatives we take at mkodo to ensure every employee, regardless of seniority, or tenure has access to growth and development opportunities throughout their journey at mkodo.  

1. Strong learning culture  

Another way that mkodo both encourages and supports employees with growth and development is through the strong learning culture that we have created. One of the core values of the business is growth and continuous learning. We’re constantly striving to learn more, to take risks, be curious and learn from mistakes - so we can grow, evolve, and develop, just like the world we work in. 

We provide all employees with an annual learning budget to further demonstrate our passion for their professional development. And every employee that joins mkodo has a reading budget, we purchase a book of their choosing (to do with growth and development in their role) to kick-start our culture of learning and continuous development from day one.

Senior employees, managers, and directors are also actively encouraged to engage with learning and development initiatives, this works towards helping to generate a company-wide influence ensuring that learning and development is at the forefront. 

2. Recognition and rewards  

A key part of growth and development is motivation. We understand that recognising employees' achievements encourages them to grow with us. And at mkodo we’re all about celebrations, and when someone achieves something, no matter how big or small, we shout about it. A study from Alight Solutions found that employees who felt their rewards were met are seven times more likely to be engaged with their work. And we’re pleased that at mkodo we have created a culture that rewards and recognises exceptional work. 

For example, when our graduates from the bespoke mkodo Graduate Evolve Scheme complete their 12 – 18 months training we celebrate by sending them balloons and cookies, as well as carrying out 6- and 12-month salary reviews to ensure they are compensated for their hard work throughout the graduate program. We have Slack channels to celebrate passing of exams as a team, as well as a fortnightly virtual showcase which gives employees the chance to shout about their achievements, and a dedicated ‘shoutouts’ section in our weekly mkodo newsletter where all employees are encouraged to recognise their colleagues for their hard work and achievements. 

As part of Wellbeing Week this year, we also started a new initiative, aptly named ‘Recognition Roulette’ - think Secret Santa but for recognising your peers and their hard work. Everyone was given one person in their team to share something they deserved recognition for. This could be anything, work related, outside work achievements, or even about their fantastic charisma or personality! This initiative was very well received and was a great motivation and morale boost for everyone who was able to take part. 

3. Knowledge sharing 

At mkodo we have over 80 incredible individuals all with varying knowledge, expertise, ideas and experiences to share. One of our core values is collaboration & teamwork, so naturally we encourage open conversations, team brainstorming and collaboration so that all the incredible knowledge that sits among the individuals at mkodo can be shared. This open style of communication and knowledge sharing results is a natual progression of growth and development for everyone – from the graduates of our Evolve Scheme to the MD. We understand that being the best, takes teamwork – we overcome obstacles, find solutions and deliver exceptional results together. 

Our fortnightly virtual showcase mentioned earlier gives employees the chance to share everything from what they’ve been working on, recent projects, as well as anything they’ve learnt outside of work projects. Employees at mkodo find this a great way of sharing their knowledge and asking their peers questions. It’s just another way we try to encourage the growth culture here at mkodo.  

4. Regular reviews and real-time feedback 

mkodo has implemented processes that help our management teams to organise and assess the strengths and weaknesses of team members on an ongoing, real-time basis through weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual catch ups and reviews. This ongoing evaluation and communication process provides a continuous feedback loop that helps employees understand the areas they need more training in, as well as developmental areas to improve, and opportunities for growth.  

Not only that, according to a study from Wakefield Research, more than 90% of employees would prefer that their manager address learning opportunities and areas for improvement in real-time, not during an annual review only. 

Through this open, more regular style of communication, mkodo is also able to better understand how we can improve in terms of providing growth and development opportunities. It’s an opportunity for us to listen to our employees and introduce initiatives to support their growth and development. 

5. Defined development paths 

Through our regular reviews and open communication style the management teams at mkodo spend dedicated time with each of their team members. This helps them get to know the individuals on their teams and thus, understand their individual learning styles, which is crucial for successful employee development. Taking the time to discuss what team members believe would be most beneficial to them can has helped mkodo to create a personalised development plan for every employee. When it comes to development, we don’t take a ‘one size fits all’, but a ‘one size fits one’ approach. We’ve certainly noticed an increase in productivity with this approach as it ensures employees feel valued, heard and respected when it comes to their professional growth requirements. Every employee, no matter their seniority, has a defined development path with mkodo, where they outline their professional goals, as well as current strengths and weaknesses.  

As well as all these great initiatives our teams regularly attend industry events and conferences, learning more about the ever-evolving industry we work in, as well as new technologies that are transforming the way we do business. If you’re interested in learning more about what it’s like working at mkodo or want to check out the opportunities we have available at the moment, check out our careers page or reach out to us at hello@mkodo.com