Connection is a fundamental aspect of humanity. Since employees are social beings, we often search for connection, especially when starting out in a new environment. Employees who feel connected to the people within the organization and the environment around them will be more motivated, work more efficiently and stay longer. Smaller and medium-sized companies may want to prioritize employee engagement since it will contribute a lot towards company growth. Research by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services shows 81% of business executives strongly agree that engaged employees perform better. Not surprisingly, companies are now focusing on productivity and engagement, not only work performance. This is based on the Performance Management Report, which shows that almost 48% of companies have started doing so.
Some of the benefits of getting employees to engage are:
- Higher profits will improve company revenues
- Enhance job satisfaction
- Improve employee retention and attraction rates
- Boost job productivity
- Ideas will lead to innovation
What does an actual engagement look like? Let’s try to understand this better.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement covers a wide area. It extends beyond one’s job; that includes interaction with the team, organization, and customers. According to Investopedia, employee engagement is the level of enthusiasm and dedication a worker feels toward their job. In order to engage with something, focus is required. However, excessive focus can lead to burnout. Hence, employees need the right amount of focus so that they can keep getting engaged for a long time. If employees are not disengaged, it may do more harm than good to the company. According to the Gallup report, it has been estimated that actively disengaged and not engaged employees cost $8.8 trillion to companies globally in lost productivity. This figure equates to 9% of global GDP.
To produce an engaged employee and feel connected to their work, environment and company, here are some of the ways:
Get to Know Them
No matter how busy an employer is, simply making time to get to know them is a great way to make them feel engaged. When getting to know the employee for the first time, learning about their personal hobbies, backgrounds and goals could make a great impression and build rapport with them. After some time, employers can encourage them to share their feelings, thoughts and experiences about the job. This could also help employers understand their perspectives and pain points, which can help you assist or help when needed. Also, make them feel safe to share and encourage two-way communication. This will build trust and the connection will be mutual. Good connection will make them to feel more valued as an individual and help them perform better.
Make Company Goals Known
Employees who understand their part in the company are more likely to be engaged and informed. When company goals are transparent, there is more clarity, which can help employees be more focused on their tasks so that they can contribute and be more likely to take initiative to achieve the goals. This can also promote accountability so that employees feel more responsible for achieving team goals. Before making company goals known, it is important to make sure to set the right goals clearly so they won’t cause further confusion for the team. This would not only help with confusion but also provide a more efficient way to successfully reach the goals.
Prioritize Management Engagement
The engagement of the manager is important to engage the teams since they set the right environment for the team and the entire company. Managers are typically closer with employees and the leadership of the organization due to the day-to-day work interaction between them. In order to have engaged management, they could play a great role as a leader, practice open communication, and empower the teams, as this can create a ripple effect throughout the whole company. Engaged managers create a positive work culture and instill values to make the employees feel appreciated, inclusive, motivated, and dedicated to their job position. Since they play a central role within the company, a workplace that is created with engaged employees is more likely to thrive and lead to success.
Have a Good Culture
Company culture involves the interaction between employers and employees within an organization. For leaders, a good culture can be implemented by acknowledging the work of the employees and giving recognition in any form, such as verbal praise, written notes of appreciation or formal awards and incentives. A variety of approaches to acknowledgement can be more effective. Leaders can also encourage collaboration, teamwork and engagement among their employees. Having a good culture can have a huge impact and is beneficial to the company in the long term. Some simple things that can be done to foster good culture are team lunches, coffee breaks, team building retreats, potlucks, and celebratory meals for individual or team accomplishments.
