With today’s job market, it’s essential for businesses to retain great talent. That’s why TLC Properties created its Grow. Prepare. Succeed. (G.P.S.) Program for team members in 2019. The G.P.S. Program fosters personal and professional growth in its team members by providing resources to achieve long-term goals. These goals could include working their way up to a management position or learning new skills that help them with their current role within the company. The G.P.S. Program is all about cultivating opportunities for the employees at TLC Properties.
“We value innovation in our company, and that goes for internal relations as well as external,” said TLC Properties Training and Development Specialist Alison Thurlkill. “Growth in the company keeps employees engaged and ultimately keeps them from leaving.
When it was first created, the G.P.S. Program was designed to provide employee assistance benefits for staff. Now, the program encompasses four pillars: TLC University, Employee Engagement, Career Path/Development, and Health and Wellness.
Through these four pillars, team members can access leadership training, department training, personal growth, personal safety, wellness opportunities, and employee assistance. If staff members want to grow into a leadership position or just a different one, they can set up a time to meet with Human Resources to create a plan. Once the plan is agreed upon, Human Resources staff work with the team members to secure the training and development they need to earn the desired promotion or be successful in their new role.
As most business owners know all too well, when team members leave, it costs the company money. Staff must have opportunities to better themselves in every aspect of their lives. Initiating these opportunities allows the company to promote employees from within and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in turnover costs. Numerous team members at TLC Properties have been with the company for five years or more, with many nearing their 10-year anniversaries. Many team members have experienced upward growth as they have advanced their careers within the company.
Blake Ekstam has been with TLC Properties for eight years and avidly supports the program. Blake started as a community manager at the company and now serves as the Operations Project Manager.
“G.P.S. has helped me professionally through the availability of education courses in areas such as time management, conflict resolution, and Excel training, to name a few,” said Blake. “These learning opportunities, the employee assistance program, and personal health and wellness tips provided through the employee portal have been a huge benefit personally.”
The G.P.S. Program helps not only with team member retention but also offers another benefit for job seekers when deciding on their next career move.
“Typically, when you look at the benefits a company offers, you think about salary, medical benefits, and retirement,” Ekstam said. “But TLC can offer this training and development in addition to the normal company benefits.”
Workplaces are only as strong as the dedicated team members who bring them to life. TLC Properties is proud to offer a program that encourages continual personal growth while allowing team members to choose the career path that best fits their skillsets and passions.
