I would argue that there is not a lack of motivation in the workplace today, there is a lack of development. Employees consistently tell us that to feel more engaged in the workplace they want skills, training and development that will help them grow and make them more marketable now and in the future.
Some ways that you can develop your employees to increase their employee engagement are outlined below.
Skills and Training
Give them the opportunity to receive formal training and learning through either an eLearning or on the job training program. This will give them tangible skills and tools they can add to their tool belt that will be able to be more competent with their customers and colleagues.
Hands-on Experience
Give them projects and challenges that provide real life, hands on experience to practice their skills and grow their problem-solving abilities.
Growth Opportunities
Give them a chance to shadow those in roles above them or in different departments so they can learn about different responsibilities in the organization. Provide them with ongoing learning, advanced training and support so that they can grow within the organization, otherwise they will grow someplace else.
Transparency and Coaching
Provide your talent with clear information about how they can succeed within the organization. Clearly communicate your organizational culture and values. Be transparent about expectations and the direction they are headed so that they feel respected and valued for their contributions.
When you invest in the development of your employees by giving them learning, development, growth opportunities and coaching, they will be more enabled to do their job, and more motivated to create exceptional experiences for their colleagues and customers. This in turn will make your internal service cooperation stronger, and your workforce more efficient and productive – all of which will make your customers happier so that they want to stay longer, buy more and positively refer others.
Additionally, innovative companies who invest in their people through learning and development are viewed more favorably by employees than those organizations that don’t, which means you will have a positive reputation to be able to recruit and retain the top talent in your industry.
The Importance of Personalization in Development
If your organization’s learning and development is going to make a significant impact on employee engagement, employees must see the personal benefits of undertaking developmental activities. In order to harness the positive effects of learning, employees have to see the link between where they are now and where they want to get to, and how learning and development is going to bridge this gap. That is why it is important not to take a one-size-fits-all approach to your employee’s learning and development, but rather work with each individual to create a plan of how and what they want to learn. Read more about the importance of creating a personalized approach to development in this article here.
iNLP Center also published an interesting article called “Lack of Motivation? Here are Seven Causes and Seven Cures” – check it out also!