The moment an employee clocks in for work on their first day, they start forming impressions about the organization that will ultimately determine how invested they would be to the company. Every organization seeks to have employees who are committed and loyal while on the flip side, employees seek organizations that are also invested in their wellbeing which could be cloaked in different attires such as motivation, inspiration, recognition, acceptance etc.
If you want to get a better insight into the relationship between an organization and its employees both subjectively and objectively, the rudimentary concept of employee engagement becomes fundamental to acquiring that knowledge. Having a workplace full of employees vested in the organization’s goal is a sure recipe for employee retention, morale boosting, productivity and increased bottom line for the organization. This in itself is a win -win.
Employee engagement in simple terms refers to the level of enthusiasm, dedication, emotional commitment and involvement an employee has toward their organization and its goals. It is the level of mental and emotional connection, involvement and investment people feel and make in their workplace. It is not the same as job satisfaction- contentment from being employed in a particular role. Job satisfaction may be enough to sustain an employee in a job for a while but engagement in the job will help an employee reach their full potential and subsequently enable the growth of the organization.
There are three broad categories of employee engagement namely actively engaged, not engaged and actively disengaged.
Actively engaged employees: demonstrate high levels of motivation, productivity, and commitment to their roles within the organization. They demonstrate initiative, passion, creativity, optimism, loyalty, determination, and a strong work ethic while supporting company values and goals through their proactive actions and positive attitudes.
Not engaged employees: show a neutral or indifferent attitude toward their jobs and the company. They do just the barest minimum without more. They do not pose a threat to the company directly but just as well do not contribute to its growth.
Actively disengaged employees: exhibit a negative and counterproductive attitude towards their work and the organization. These individuals often display disinterest or dislike for their job and the company and blame their poor performance on lack of support.
Why should any organization bother about employee engagement and satisfaction. A few benefits are:
Increased productivity
Higher retention rates
Stronger company culture
Improved customer satisfaction
The level of employee experience of any organization is most often than not a direct outcome of the leadership, culture and values of the company. Here are some pointers on how to improve employee engagement in your company:
Communication and Leadership: The leadership must foster engagement through transparency and open communication where employee opinions are sought and valued. This can be achieved through employee surveys that are acted upon.
Recognition & Appreciation: we all want to be appreciated for a job well done. Same goes for employees. Providing feedback and rewards is a great way to achieve this.
Career Growth & Development: offer employees opportunities for trainings, career progression, learning and development to show that the organization is vested in their personal and professional advancement
Work-Life Balance: creating a workplace where employees know that their personal life is important to the organization as well as their professional life is key. Flexibility and support such as: In house day care, 4-day work week, hybrid or remote work, paid time off, EAP program for employees and their family members speaks volume to employees
Sense of Purpose and Belonging: creating a workplace relationship of collaboration and a culture where employees know that they are valued and their voice in decision making is heard can boost their morale and keep them engaged.
In conclusion, engaged employees are more than just workers; they are advocates for the company. As such organizations should strive to create an organizational culture where employees work like they have a personal stake in the success of the business. To do this, company leaders will have to assess and improve their engagement strategies.
If you are concerned about the engagement level of your employees, feel to reach out to us at Conduit HR | HR services or send a mail to cehibudu@conduithr.com and we can help you get those employees clocking in to work and buying in to company goals and objectives.
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