BASICS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

 

WHAT IS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

The degree of an employee's mental and emotional commitment to their work, their teams, and their organization is known as employee engagement. In other words, employee engagement can be defined as the level of interest and excitement of employees in their work and workplace.

BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

The advantages of increased employee engagement for an organization include the following.

Increased Productivity

It should come as no surprise that workers who enjoy their jobs exert greater effort, and their employers benefit as a result. Increased productivity among employees has significant effects on the organization's profitability and long-term viability.

Reduced Employee Stress

Employees who are less engaged are more likely to feel worried, and stress lowers engagement, creating a vicious cycle that can be challenging to escape. Thus, lowering stress and raising engagement yield benefits, illuminating yet another reason for the significance of employee engagement.

Greater Employee Commitment

Employees that are engaged produce more work and are generally more dedicated to the future of their company. This implies that they are more likely to invest time and effort in things that have a significant impact but are difficult to assess.

Better Customer Service

Employees that are more engaged are more in line with the mission and objectives of the organization, which makes customer interactions more consistent. Customers will also probably notice their positive attitudes toward the company. Engagement has a direct correlation to better customer experiences and can eventually lead to greater customer loyalty.

Lower Absenteeism

The ability of a corporation to carry out its objective can be severely hampered by absenteeism. Low engagement organizations have more absenteeism than high engagement ones.

Fewer Mistakes

In a similar vein, disengaged staff members are more likely to commit costly errors at work. Your personnel won't be as motivated to go above and beyond to guarantee that their work is flawless if they don't feel a sense of commitment to the company and their roles.

Increased Employee Wellbeing

Disengaged employees are more prone to have poor physical and mental health, which can further reduce productivity and raise costs for the company. On the other side, workers who are happy with their occupations are more likely to feel better and have the stamina to engage in wellness-promoting activities like exercise.

Lower Employee Turnover

Employees that are motivated and more productive are more likely to stay with the company for a longer period of time. As a result of their excellent experiences working for the company, engaged employees don't search for new positions.

More Effective Leadership

Engaging with the staff is the first step for leaders who wish to motivate their workforce. They must set out time to interact with the team and get to know the employees. In exchange, since the staff is aware that the company's leaders are concerned about their concerns, they are more likely to listen to them.

Contributes to a Happier Home Life

Employees who are more engaged are happier with their personal lives. Employees who are engaged at work are happier and report having a better quality of life at home.

DIFFERENT ROLES IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

THE ROLE OF LEADRSHIP IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

The champions of employee engagement are organizational leaders. They are the primary organizers and supporters of an involved culture. Their role includes

• Set the tone

• Cast a vision

• Communicate changes made

• Update the organization on progress

THE ROLE OF HR DEPARTMENT IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Initiatives to increase employee engagement should be owned by HR, and teams should be held responsible. HR department’s role includes

• Select the right employee engagement partner

• Implement tools and processes

• Support and develop managers

• Manage day-to-day needs and happenings related to engagement efforts

THE ROLE OF MANAGERS IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

More than anybody else, managers communicate with their staff. They need to foster an atmosphere where each person can flourish and actively participate. Role of managers includes

• Build good relationships with each employee

• Serve as a sounding board for employee feedback and suggestions

• Recognize and celebrate individual and team performance

• Provide continuous performance feedback

• Help employees develop and grow

 

THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Employees are an organization's front-line spokespersons and its primary window into the employee experience. Their role includes

• Provide honest, candid, and actionable feedback about what is and isn’t working

• Brainstorm new and creative solutions that address their concerns

• Own their performance and development

• Engage in meaningful relationships with their teams and managers

HOW DOES A COMPANY BUILD EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?

A company cannot increase employee engagement with a single straightforward strategy. A multifaceted strategy driven by continual improvement is needed to create an engaged workplace. Here are some ways to raise employee engagement:

• Prioritize company culture.

• Inspire employees through mission, vision, and values.

• Develop and equip your managers as coaches.

• Build great communication habits.

• Create a robust feedback culture.

• Share employee feedback and always follow up.

• Paint a clear picture of success at organization, team, and employee levels.

• Recognize employees for their contributions.

• Provide access to employee development opportunities.

• Prioritize flexibility and employee wellbeing.

• Invest in technology that helps you do all of the above!

MEASURING TECHNIQUES OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Doing employee surveys is the most accurate method of measuring employee engagement. There are three types of employee surveys.

Employee Engagement Surveys

Leaders can better understand engagement at the organizational level with the use of a thorough employee engagement survey. Scientifically validated questions that assess employee engagement should be included in these surveys.

Pulse Surveys

Pulse surveys are made to assist businesses in obtaining real-time feedback on any subject at any time. This is crucial during transitional periods such mergers and acquisitions, changes in mission or focus, and changes in executive or management.

Employee Lifecycle Surveys

Employee lifecycle surveys enable you to gather input from employees at critical junctures in their employment with your company.

COMMON BARRIERS TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

Lack of Leadership

Employee views of the organization as a whole can be significantly impacted by senior leadership and their actions.

To avoid becoming challenges to employee engagement, leaders must move forward by explicitly modeling the organization's basic principles.

Lack of Communications & Transparency

Employee engagement is directly correlated with frequency of communication. All employee roles may feel left behind and demotivated if crucial information is not easily accessible to them.

Throughout the whole employee life cycle, adopt a two-way communication plan. You can gather all business resources in an orderly manner using elements like surveys and polls, as well as the knowledge library.

Unavailability of Employee Recognition Strategy

Lack of appreciation has a significant negative impact on employee engagement because it may cause them to feel emotionally detached from their work, which may prevent them from going above and beyond for the company they work for.

To get focused efforts from people who value recognition, company needs to make recognition a regular component of the culture at work. Try not to let tenure take priority above performance.

Zero Attention to Work/Life Balance

Some organizational leaders demand that everyone put the company first at all costs, with no regard for the people's lives outside of work. Employee burnout and significant levels of stress could result from this, which would immediately lower engagement levels overall.

This can be overcome by increasing workplace flexibility to keep employees interested.

REFERENCES

Anon, (n.d.). Available at: https://haiilo.com/blog/employee-engagement-8-statistics-you-need-to-know/.

Anon, (n.d.). Available at: https://www.linezero.com/blog/4-barriers-to-improving-employee-engagement.

Herman, M. (2022). Why is Employee Engagement so Important? TOP 20 Benefits. [online] LumApps. Available at: https://www.lumapps.com/employee-engagement/benefits-of-employee-engagement/.

Gallup (2020). How to Improve Employee Engagement in the Workplace. [online] Gallup.com. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx.

Ryba, K. (2021). What is Employee Engagement? [Definition]. [online] www.quantumworkplace.com. Available at: https://www.quantumworkplace.com/future-of-work/what-is-employee-engagement-definition.

Thanks for reading
Chamara Perera