It goes without saying that employers want the best from their staff. They want hardworking employees who are willing to go the extra mile, to go above and beyond the call of duty, and be extremely productive, not because they have to, but because they want to. But what do employees want? Well, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), employees want meaningful, fulfilling jobs that inspire them, that will grow and develop as they do, through a mutually successful future.

So where do the two meet? How do we fulfil both needs? How do we get diligent, happy, motivated employees, who feel valued by their employers, and see great potential in their position?

The answer, of course, lies in engagement.

The CIPD defines engagement as 'being positively present during the performance of work by willingly contributing intellectual effort, and experiencing both positive emotions and meaningful connections to others'.

So basically, an engaged employee equals a valuable employee.

Employee engagement has been a key focus of HR departments in recent years due to an expansion in the research into positive organisational phenomena. The CIPD themselves have conducted surveys that looked into the drivers, dimensions and consequences of employee engagement, with the resulting case studies suggesting that employees respond positively to opportunities for involvement and increased responsibility.

So how do we engage our employees? How do we promote positive emotions and meaningful connections? Well, some of the key themes that came up in the aforementioned survey included:

• Strong opportunities for promotion within the organisation based on merit
• Fair and consistent HR practices, such as rewards and appraisals
• High levels of employee advocacy for working for the organisation and using the organisation's services

The list goes on. But for the purposes of this article we'll concentrate on these points, as they all relate to personal development, which we'll focus on today.

When you read the above points, they all make sense. People who feel like they're working in a dead end job aren't going be motivated, productive or happy at work. They'll turn up, do a half-hearted job, go home and try and forget that they have to do it all again tomorrow.

It's our responsibility, therefore, as HR managers:

• To work with our employees and let them know about the possibilities associated with their position
• To create, with their input, an ideal career plan for their success
• To offer the training that will enable them to reach their full potential
• To do such a good job of it that they go away and tell all their colleagues to use our fantastic HR services, and their friends and family what a fantastic employer they work for

Not asking much, then.

So, to successfully fulfill your obligations, creating the ultimate engaged workforce, follow this step-by-step guide and watch your organisation's productivity boom.

Assess Training Needs

This can be looked at from two perspectives, that of the employer, and that of the employee.

With regards to the employer, it's important to determine what training needs to be implemented by forecasting the growth of the company over the coming years. What skills will be required by the organisation?

With regards to employees (and the assessment you've made of the organisation) you now need to determine whether your current employees possess any of the skills needed for the company to progress in its anticipated direction. If they do, great! Mentoring is the way forward. If not, then training programmes need to be decided upon, implemented, and publicised.

Workplace Mentoring

According to Success Magazine, 70% of Fortune 500 firms have formal mentoring programmes that focus on the personal and professional growth of employees within a professional setting.

Workplace mentoring can:

• Help employees communicate their desires to advance within the company
• Help employees understand how they are able to advance within the company, and access training in order to do so
• Give organisations the opportunity to recognise, cultivate and retain talent
• Give organisations a much needed perspective on working in the lower levels of the company

Ideally, an organisation should run an effective, formal mentoring programme that is well publicised within the workplace. If this isn't the case, do what you can to implement a mentoring programme within the company that you work for.
 

If you already have a mentoring programme, make sure it's a good one. A lacklustre approach can do more harm than good.  Mentors should be trained in questioning, listening, clarifying and reframing skills, and mentees should feel as though these mentoring sessions are of real, quantifiable value.

Again, make sure that mentoring programmes are well publicised within your organisation, and easily accessible for those who need career advice.

Training Programmes

Workplace training provides employees with an ideal opportunity to expand their knowledge base and earning potential, which in turn improves their levels of engagement.

The benefits of providing training are manifold:

• It addresses employee weaknesses, strengthening their skills in order to improve productivity.
• It builds employee confidence and their sense of responsibility
• It improves consistency throughout the organisation
• It improves employee satisfaction and their sense of worth within the company

Although implementing a training programme can be expensive, the benefits far outweigh these costs.

Remember to assess company and employee training needs, utilise this information well, designate an in-house training coordinator, and obtain (and pay attention to) feedback on the training process.

If your workplace does offer employee training, guarantee its success by ensuring that goals and objectives are clear, that employees are given the opportunity to enforce what they learn by practising, and that the learning environment is positive, safe and supportive.

Financial Assistance

If it's not possible to implement an in-house training scheme where you work, consider offering (or making your employees aware of) financial assistance to undertake training externally.

As well as grants and bursaries for adult learners, a number of banks offer career development loans to pay for courses and training that may help with your employees' career aspirations.

Tell your bosses – you can make more money by making your employees happy.

Companies that recognise that their employees are their greatest asset, foster a team spirit and work to ensure their wellbeing will reap benefits in terms of productivity and motivation. So, commit to employee engagement and create a culture where your employees can thrive. In other words, find out what they want, and give it to them.