Engaged employees are the strength of any business, and it’s no news that they have a positive impact on organizational success from satisfied customers and higher productivity to greater profits. However, companies have not really harnessed the benefits of the employees’ experience.
Many organizations have taken an old-school approach when it comes to employee engagement, and they haven’t taken the time to learn new methods, which leads them to not seeing the results they want to. These relic understandings have created a hindrance and barrier to tapping into employee engagement to drive actual business results;
Here are some false understandings of employee engagement:
Drivers Of Employee Engagement Are All Similar
False: Drivers of employee engagement across various businesses and industries tend to be different rather than equal. The most important driver of employee engagement in one place is unlikely to have the same effect in another. Don’t use the drivers of engagement in one organization as a benchmark as you are missing the most important variable that can be the key to your success – your employees.
Drivers Of Engagement Are The Same As Drivers Of Results
False: Drivers of engagement and business results are not identical. For example, if a business were to put all its resources into employee engagement, would their sales triple? Unfortunately no. There will be some improvement in overall business productivity but not enough on its own to drive that type of business growth. The business would need to still put resources and activities to drive and increase sales.
All other factors aside, a business can’t operate as effectively without a solid employee engagement framework: point, blank period. Engaged employees are a powerful driving force as they are more present, productive, and willing to go above and beyond to meet customers’ needs. You’ll find them becoming experts in their tasks because they tend to be observant of systems, processes, and standards. A higher absenteeism or turnover rate will not be your concern as they will enjoy being at work delivering and adding value to your business.
Engagement and profitability go hand in hand. The more engaged your employees are, the higher chance of your business increasing performance year over year and your product or service being recognized as a top leader in the industry. From a positive work environment to challenging projects, employees need to feel engaged to give their best. When your employees give their heart to your work, your business receives all the benefits in so many ways.
On the other side of the coin, disengaged employees can be very costly to your business if not caught in time. One area that is a tell-tale sign of potential engagement issues is your customer service department. From subtle behaviors of disgruntlement to having conflict with customers, disengaged employees creep in with their toxicity. If not addressed early enough, the business’ results can be negatively impacted.
Employee disengagement can stem from a variety of ways. That is why engagement is so key within your business because, no matter what you sell or make, your business is your people at the end of the day. It’s those who show up day in and day out to perform for your business because they believe in what you are doing and the impact the business is making. Understanding what motivates your employees and how this enhances productivity and commitment to your business is a great starting point.
Three drivers you might want to consider for employee engagement are:
Leadership
Leadership’s role in employee engagement and retention is crucial as strategy plays a key role in attracting and retaining talent. Leadership needs to build trust by communicating effectively to encourage engagement.
Fulfilling Work
Employees need to feel that their work is meaningful. With feelings of unhappiness and lack of job satisfaction, engagement is out of the question. You need to discover projects and work that motivates employees and gets them excited about the future of what they are doing.
Workplace Relationships
What’s better than a job you like and working with friends… not much. Employees who have friends at work have a stronger connection to the company, and they’re more excited about coming to work every day. This has a link to engagement as it builds a supportive network and creates a strong team spirit.
As a forward-thinking business, understanding the drivers of engagement is important for your business today and for the future. Understanding how to optimize employee engagement and utilizing best practices for your high-performance culture will ensure you see beyond the surface and laser in on the elements that drive results.