For most of us, at least 70 percent of the training we get is on-the-job. When we start a new role, we’re often thrown into the deep end. There’s a steep learning curve in the first few weeks where we learn the ins and outs of our role that aren’t captured in the formal job description. We spend time watching how others are doing things and apply our experiences and skills to the new setting. It can be stressful and exciting all at once. However, when the initial excitement subsides, where do employees look for career development and fulfilment?
My new book, 7 Business Habits That Drive High Performance, sets out the 7 things that most differentiate high performance organisations from low performance ones. Habit 3 “Develop your people” is an en essential step towards employee engagement and building high performance.
Not all organisations can afford external training programs and nor do they have the capacity within their structure for people to move rapidly through the ranks. So how else can we keep our talented employees fulfilled in their roles?
“On-the-job” training is underrated in this regard—it is not usually thought of as a way to create a sense of career fulfilment and greater employee engagement. But at Insync Surveys, we’ve found that a key driver of employee engagement is using employees’ skills and talents to their full potential. This means career development doesn’t have to always be a new training course or a new role. Leaders can find ways to engage their staff on-the-job by tapping into their employees’ passions and underutilised skills.
Allowing employees the flexibility and autonomy to use their skills and talents can make a great difference. Our most talented staff may be great at their job, but it’s likely that they have other skill sets they want to develop, or that they want to become increasingly proficient in their role. Here are some tips for developing your employees’ on-the-job in ways that utilise their full potential and ultimately increase their sense of fulfilment:
Once you’ve progressed with habit 3, “develop your people” it dovetails into habits 4 and 5 in the book. That is to “go out of your way to recognise your people” and to “genuinely care for your people”. By investing time and effort in job-fulfilment we have a great opportunity to recognise employees for going above and beyond their typical roles. We’re also showing we care about how engaged our employees are by keeping things interesting.
Nicholas S. Barnett is a director, business leader and strategist with over 35 years’ experience. He is CEO of Insync Surveys and passionate about helping individuals, teams and organisations reach their full potential. Nicholas is also the author of the new book, 7 Business Habits That Drive High Performance (Major Street Publishing, $29.99). For more information visit www.insyncsurveys.com.au or email [email protected].