Employee engagement refers to how enthusiastic and committed employees are to their work. Engaged employees are concerned about their work and the organization's success and believe their contributions matter. An employee engagement strategy is devised to increase employee engagement within an organization. It is done after conducting an employee engagement survey. It looks at the low-scoring dimensions to find ways to increase them and close the gap. Essentially it is a roadmap outlining how a business intends to maintain employee engagement at the highest levels.
Employee engagement has been linked to increased productivity, fewer workplace accidents and absences, and greater customer relationships. It has also been demonstrated to be a critical component of organizational success, aiding in developing and retaining high-performing personnel and allowing businesses to fulfil rising demands despite having a limited budget (Rosen, 2007). Organizations should devise effective employee engagement strategies.
Previous studies have produced the following findings:
- Only 32% of workers in the United States are actively engaged (Ariani, 2013).
- In South Africa, 9% of workers are engaged (Moletsane et al., 2019).
- According to Molestane et al. (2019), 45% of South African employees are actively disengaged.
- Disengaged workers cost the economy about US$16 billion annually.
- Increased organizational profitability by 21% could be attained by increasing employee engagement levels.
- According to Jose and Mapily (2012), businesses with higher levels of employee engagement also have higher levels of profitability.
Employee Engagement Strategies
How To Develop An Employee Engagement Strategy
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Your organization's objectives and the findings of employee satisfaction surveys can both influence the employee engagement strategies you choose to use. Your focus can be more precisely defined if you comprehend the factors that influence employee engagement.
The following variables influence employee engagement:
- Sense of meaning and purpose.
- Satisfaction at work.
- Support for the goals and employee input.
- Company ethos.
- Autonomy.
- Shared ideals amongst top executives and team members.
- Connections with superiors.
- Your leadership team deserves your trust and integrity.
- Colleague relationships.
- Pride in the organization.
- Prospects for career advancement.
- A combination of benefits and pay
Measuring the current levels of engagement among your employees is the first step in developing an employee engagement strategy. Doing an anonymous survey about how they feel about the organization, their career plans, and other questions is a simple method. Consider measures like turnover rate, general productivity, or absence days to be more detailed.
Setting goals is the next phase of strategic planning. What attitude do you want your staff to have toward the business? What should the appropriate turnover rate be? Is productivity where it should be? When developing an engagement strategy, these and other inquiries are crucial since they enable you to identify the areas that you want improvement.
Setting your spending cap is the last step. You can use several tactics to raise employee satisfaction. While some substantially alter the firm culture and procedures, others only modify their daily work routine. Selecting the solution that best meets your demands is simpler once you determine how much money your business is willing to spend on employee engagement activities.
Performance could be affected by employee engagement. Employees who are passionate about their jobs and have the correct job fit are more likely to perform effectively and stick with a company (Marrelli, 2011). Assessments, interviews, and surveys may be used to measure performance because attitude and engagement are influenced by performance (Moreland, 2013). Employee engagement ought to be a continuum of learning, improvement, measurement, and action (Anand & Banu, 2011). If measured continuously, employee engagement and its influence on performance might produce the best results.
Related: Employee Engagement Strategies
Employee Engagement Strategies Case Studies
1. Google's Simplicity Sprint
Google CEO Sundar Pichai launched the company's first-ever simplicity sprint as an employee engagement strategy in July 2022 to get "better results in less time." The sprints aim to engage Google employees by locating and eliminating roadblocks. In essence, it involves streamlining work procedures to reduce idling time and boost output. Employee productivity will thus increase, leading to greater outcomes.
Google put its staff to the test by asking them to come up with suggestions for cutting red tape and improving productivity. In exchange, it aspires workplace where staff members are driven to achieve.
2. Apple's Employee Engagement Strategies
Organizational Vision Alignment
Steve Jobs emphasized that his role at Apple was to spearhead organizational vision.
Apple's authority for all decision-making rests with the Executive Team (ET), which oversees each function. They examine the entire company to ensure all departments are on the same page during each Monday morning meeting, which are powerhouses for alignment.
They thoroughly consider products, procedures, and innovation before making decisive choices in any of these areas. Each member carries out this coherently as they reach an agreement and leave these meetings.
Workplace Design
For each task an employee performs during the workday, Apple has designated areas called pods — one for socializing, one for teamwork, one for office work, etc.
The CEO is exempt from receiving an incongruent pod because these pods are dispersed democratically. Additionally, it is an excellent approach to offering adaptable space for various types of work.
3. Facebook
Facebook's commitment to an inspiring mission and having a clear strategy that ignites optimism and creates value for society is its employee engagement strategy. According to a recent study on employee engagement at Facebook, the most potent engagement driver is company pride. In a study, Dr Grant, a professor at Wharton and HR professionals from Facebook discovered that "when people feel proud to work here, they are more satisfied, more committed, more successful, and more likely to recommend us as a great place to work."
Employee Engagement Strategies That You Can Use In Your Organisation
Low employee engagement remains a persistent problem for organizations of all sizes worldwide. In 2022, a global Gallup study found that just 21% of employees are 'engaged' at work – defined by the research company as being "highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace". Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, engagement levels were rising, says Gallup, but the past few years have taken its toll. The same study found that just a third (33%) of employees are flourishing in their overall well-being.
Below are some of the employee engagement strategies that can help improve employee engagement:
1. Use a bottom-up approach as an employee engagement strategy
Not the roof, but the proper foundation must come first when building a house! It is appropriate for key decisions in the organization to begin with the lowest levels of management, your employees. Conduct surveys and questionnaires that let your staff voice their ideas and issues. According to a recent study, 1 in 6 workers are so dissatisfied with their jobs that they seek new ones. Your employee engagement plan may benefit from a survey. They feel more valued, entitled, respected, and like group members, the more you solicit their thoughts. Google was one of the very first companies that had a vision of understanding the employees' needs by listening to its employees' needs. Google lets its workers have a flexible schedule to work on their terms and enhance creativity and productivity. This means employees have complete freedom to work in a way that is most suitable to them.
Related: Employee Engagement Ideas you can use in your Organisation
2. Encourage two-way dialogue as an employee engagement strategy
Keep the staff in the loop as much as possible to encourage employee engagement. Employee engagement will probably suffer if firms behave secretively and only share information with those who "need to know." Trust is fostered when staff members are informed about how corporate choices will affect their work or how they should handle circumstances.
But can simply sharing information suffice? Communication should always be two-way. Employees should be encouraged to voice their issues. Top company executives typically adhere to an open-door policy and refrain from utilizing "top-secret" information to their benefit.
3. Encourage community involvement as an employee engagement strategy
An organization is where each person helps the community while performing a specialized role. Planning a significant annual event, as simple as taking a team out to lunch, can aid in fostering this sense of community among your employees.
Regardless of the organizational hierarchy, it is preferable to maintain a level of impartiality and equality where everyone feels valued by the group.
This way of thinking is typical of new-age technology firms with no-walls organizational policies and a more laid-back work environment. Although maintaining this innovative business strategy may be challenging, it can result in highly engaged employees.
4. Recognize Outstanding Work employee engagement strategy
Two out of every three workers believe they do not receive enough credit for their efforts. As a result, most workers won't perform to their full ability and can exhibit undesirable conduct. Additionally, highly skilled individuals are constantly looking for better alternatives.
Establishing a culture of appreciation is sensible, where good work is rewarded with rewards and incentives. A few kind words and a token of appreciation can go a long way toward making others feel appreciated for their efforts.
It's important to note that all forms of appreciation must adhere to the organization's mission, objectives, and guiding principles. After all, it's about properly directing human resources.
5. Invest in Personal Growth employee engagement strategy
You should nurture and develop each human resource you hire to contribute to the organization's long-term expansion. You are investing in your business's future and cultivating a sense of loyalty among your employees if you run a bespoke training program or support higher education for your staff.
Remember that every employee values working for a company that helps them advance their careers and enriches their personal life. Want to keep the best personnel in your company? Don't be arrogant or selfish. Assure their personal development, and you will benefit.
6. Employ capable managers
Managers are your hidden weapon for increasing employee engagement because they act as a liaison between boardroom participants and the workforce. The majority of the time, employees deal regularly with their direct supervisors but rarely, if ever, with top-level executives. Depending on the manager's approach, people may feel safe, angry, or ignored.
Jim Clifton, the chairman of Gallup, once said:
"People join a company and then fire their boss, especially celebrities. The failure of these managers to train the new employees may not be their responsibility in the least."
It is usually preferable to recruit a qualified manager first, even though firms can choose to educate their managers on how to engage their people better. Examine their professional history to determine if they are qualified for the challenging job that is waiting for them.
7. Establish a Purpose
Employees are people, not machines. Unfortunately, businesses that view personnel as a resource that can be purchased for a specific price have not yet realized the full value of human capital. Your staff members are potential defenders of the values and tenets of your company, not just another component of production.
Although a sizable salary is undoubtedly helpful, employees are more likely to give more personal involvement and produce more output if they sense an emotional connection to your business.
Simply put, businesses must begin fostering a sense of belonging among their staff. Let your staff members know how important their participation is as one strategy to ensure this. Tell them how it assists in achieving the organization's corporate goals.
8. Make a road map for success.
This is especially true if you bring millennial employees into your company. Many millennials don't consider it sufficient to show up at work, complete their allocated tasks, and take their salary home. They need to be aware that their role has room for improvement.
Another pillar of a good employee engagement strategy is creating a proper road map for success. Regarding millennial employee engagement, holding frequent career counseling meetings or outlining a clear professional growth path may be very helpful.
Measuring Employee Engagement
Measuring Employee Engagement
Surveys of employee engagement are used to gauge employee satisfaction. Employee engagement surveys have been produced in various forms, each focusing on assessing a distinct facet of employee engagement. The following are some of the most popular employee engagement polls:
Related: How employee engagement is measured: A guide for HR professionals
According to research, numerous employee engagement surveys can be used to gauge employee engagement. The Multidimensional Assessment of Work Engagement (MAWE), created by researchers at Lancaster University in the U.K., is the most widely utilized survey. Employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and the degree to which employees feel a feeling of personal responsibility at work are just a few of the variables the MAWE examines. The Hogan Work Climate Survey, and Hogan Organizational Survey, are a few other well-liked employee engagement surveys.
Related: Employee Engagement Surveys: How to so it and why
Focus Groups
Focus groups are one method for gaining deeper insights from employees. This is carried out following the examination of the dimensions and the creation of reports. To figure out what's going on, look for more information below under the categories that received the lowest employee ratings.
Additionally, focus groups can be a crucial and beneficial addition to employee engagement surveys. Focus groups can "enrich" survey results by illuminating the more qualitative opinions hidden beneath the numbers, whereas surveys are best at delivering measurable data.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the three C's of employee engagement?
These are career, competence, and care.
2. What are the five C's of employee engagement?
These are care, connect, coach, contribute & congratulate.
Conclusion
Using the strategies mentioned earlier, you may help your staff members stay motivated and be encouraged to give it their all.
Milton Jack is a Business Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a business management and human resources consulting firm.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/milton-jack-9798b966
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Email: milton@ipcconsultants.com
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