Shiny Happy People : Successful Employee Engagement
Right now, it seems that everyone is talking about employee engagement. In our last issue, we asked what is it, do you need it in your organisation and if you decide you do, how do you go about getting it? The text-book definition:-
The CIPD definitition of employee engagement is ‘a combination of commitment to the organisation and its values plus a willingness to help out colleagues (organisational citizenship). It goes beyond job satisfaction and is not simply motivation. Engagement is something the employee has to offer: it cannot be ‘required’ as part of the employment contract”. The CIPD talks of a very specific set of drivers create an engaged workforce:
- Having opportunities to feed views upwards
- Feeling well-informed about what is happening in the organisation
- Believing that managers are committed to the company
- Involvement in decision making
- Freedom to voice ideas to which managers listen
- Feeling enabled to perform well
- Opportunities to develop the job
- Feeling the organisation cares about health & well-being
Benefits of engaging your employees
There are several advantages for an organisation that engages its workforce. In the first instance, analysis has shown that productivity increases in direct proportion with engagement levels. Which means that the more engaged an employee is the more productive they are going to be. Engaged employees are also more likely to create the kind of loyal customers on which many organisations rely when they go the “extra mile” to help customers and colleagues. Finally, an engaged employee is likely to promote the company brand, which means that they will attract further employees and customers. An engaged workforce is one that voluntarily offers loyalty and commitment Because they feel listened to, able to perform well, have responsibilities, task
One of the ways you can find out whether your workforce is engaged is by conducting a staff survey or focus groups, looking at areas such as pay, benefits, communication, linemanagement and work-life balance. This information can then be used to identify areas in which to improve, and also to support performance management policies.
Once you’ve gathered this information you can decide what to do next. There are a number of ways to use it meaningfully. One way to is put policies in place that support the values of your organisation and creates a culture that supports the principles of an engaged workforce. You can also use your competency structure if you have one, to help encourage the kind of behaviours which will foster a culture in which employees can feel engaged. Your policies could include structures that ensure the employees have task variety, responsibilities, opportunities to learn and develop, an opportunity to feel part of the organisation and important to it. Clarity around task and role also help with engagement as people know what exactly they should be doing and why.
This also helps with aligning culture to business purpose. You might not always be able to solve the issues that employees bring up. For instance you may not be able to increase pay, but you can communicate why it is not possible, and maybe point to possible changes in the future, which means that the employee feels listened to. Once you have an understanding of the expectations of your employees you can decide which are most important to them and your organisation, because you will have definite information about the way they feel. If you decide to take action on this information, you will be showing a committment to your people and encouraging open trusting relationships within the workplace. This is the first step in the invitation to get engaged!
Real-life, Grown up application
Employee engagement is not simply a set of tasks to be implemented by one or two specific individuals who have it in their job title. It is an end-point or result of seeking to involve employees on so many levels in so many ways. Pay and benefits, reward, communication, culture, management style, leadership, learning & development, pride in the brand and job satisfaction are just some of these. Setting the vision, goals and culture is also vital if employee engagement is to thrive. A culture in which people feel involved, can have a dialogue and share knowledge helps nurture employee involvement. Just to be clear, however, expectations need to be managed in terms of what employee engagement contributes. It is not about people only doing the work they prefer, or about the right to be intimately involved with every business decision, or management by consensus. It is about people taking up their responsibility to make the most of their work and the organisation they are in. The outcome is usually that they give back to the organisation and its customers in many ways and are happier in their work too, so it’s a win for everybody.
Engaged Employees Voluntarily offer loyalty and commitment because they :
- Feel listened to
- Have responsibilities
- Feel able to perform well
- Have task variety
- Have opportunities to learn and develop