By Hugh Tonks, CEO of Thymometrics
According to research from employee engagement consultants, Blessings White, a main factor that impacts whether an employee feels engaged or disengaged in the workplace is how much clarity and ownership they have towards their job—obviously, no one likes to feel out of their depth, but neither do they want to be just a cog in a machine. Right next to ownership in the list of employee priorities is career development and opportunities for training.
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Whilst it’s all very well for employees to demand these two things—ownership and career development—it can sometimes be difficult to meet these in practice. For one, employees often don’t know exactly what their career goals are yet. Or otherwise they know, but there is no way for them to gain the experience and guidance they need to progress.
Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to ensure employee expectations fit in with the wider company culture and vision. Mentors can offer practical workplace advice and can help to steer a younger employee’s career path, giving it shape and direction above and beyond what they may have considered themselves.