Garrison follower development

Advancing followers is completely optional. The follower system can be either a plus or a minus depending on how you handle it and what you're trying to achieve. For example, if you just want to advance in level as fast as possible, follower missions are not very helpful. There are some missions that offer actual player experience but experience in the field is much faster. Follower missions were lucrative during the Warlords of Draenor expansion but the rewards were nerfed once the expansion was over. It's not really a good way to enrich your character.

Even so, you may find followers fun and interesting. It won't hurt to invest a little time and effort into the follower system. For a guide to getting several followers quickly, check out 17 Garrison Followers Under 2 Hours (17 Alliance/14 Horde). To compliment this guide, you can get the Handynotes addon called Warlords of Draenor (Treasures and Rares). It places a green plus sign at the locations where followers can be obtained making it easier to find what you're looking for. Keep in mind that different zones in WoD have different starting levels. Also, unless you're level 40 you can't do any of the Mysterious Items quests so just ignore them.