By Meet Vara
An Overview On The Rise Of “Employee Engagement”
Among the various resources that any organization functions with, “people” comprise an integral part of it. However, it is essential to realize that the human resource wasn’t always considered this way. How many of us know that today what we term as “employees” were in the days of old called “slaves”? In short, the scenario was so, that initially, the workers were considered more like slaves than employees.
Nonetheless, the gradual development in the lifestyle of the people and the society has demanded a certain level of dignity for each other. This has led the employers very gradually to adapt to the changing circumstances and not to treat them anymore as slaves.
Added to this, the growing job opportunities also began to kind of pose a threat to the employers as the employees now have a wide range of choices in front of them, unlike before. If an employee is not satisfied with an employer, he can choose to quit and join elsewhere, which has led the employers to be considerate towards the employees so as to not lose the right talent. Thus, it has indeed taken a lot for the employees to have gained an identity for themselves today.
And an amazing part of this gradual yet significant development is that today, irrelevant of what the company’s function is, considering if it really contributes to employee engagement is one of the ultimate motives. This may include buying machinery or celebrating an official or unofficial gathering; the first thought that comes to many good employers is the engagement of the employees to the organization. Therefore, it has turned out to be a major concern of the employers than the employees. Continue reading to discover more interesting aspects on how to engage and why is it so important.
Understanding “Employee Engagement” Concept From The Influencer’s Perspective
It was in the year 1990 that “employee engagement” was conceptualized by Kahn. He conveyed the concept as “harnessing of the organizational members” to their work-related parts. This harnessing includes the employees expressing physically, emotionally, as well as cognitively while they are into accomplishing their tasks.
And Patrick Lencioni has defined employee engagement as – “When leaders throughout an organization take an active, genuine interest in the people they manage when they invest real time to understand employees at a fundamental level, they create a climate for greater morale, loyalty, and yes, growth.”
Again in the year 2009, Henderson mentioned that “engagement is something that the employee has to be offered, it cannot be ‘required’ as part of the employment contract.”
With all the above said, it is easier to understand that employee engagement is an approach that results in the right condition for everyone at the company in order to exhibit the best each could. It is also understood as the level to which an employee involves and commits oneself towards the organization as a satisfied employee.
Today, the entire concept revolves around the basic aspects – trust, integrity, communication as well as two-way commitment that includes the management and the employees. All this is for the overall success of the company and the mutual benefit of the employers and employees.
Is It Really Important To Engage The Employees?
In spite of the concept gaining its significance, many yet wonder what benefit employee engagement can offer to the organization. As an answer to their queries here’s a list of benefits mentioned.
- Improved Productivity
- Reduction In Turnover
- Enhances Company Culture
- Contributes to better customer experience
- Increases profitability of the company, etc
The 5 Golden Rules To Foster Employee Engagement
As of now, we have understood the emerging concept and how significant it is for an organization. But, doesn’t the revelation and realization of the same arise questions in our minds as to “how to engage the employees?” What can be done? What are the right strategies? and so on. The latest statistics reveal that only 15% of the worldwide employees are engaged. What about the rest? Where are they stuck?
The whole concept of employee engagement in a company is dependent on the HR department. However, these days the use of human resource management software in a company is also becoming a source to engage the employees by adopting the latest technology. This has led companies to a certain extent to enhance independence among the employees. Well, apart from this, here are the top 5 tips or strategies to help you foster better employee engagement in your organization.
-
Never Underestimate Onboarding
Many a time, it is observed that employee onboarding is taken very lightly by organizations. But it is already high time to understand its significance. If an employee isn’t made felt welcomed on day one, it quite impossible to engage him for the rest of his tenure. Create a proper checklist, introduce him to colleagues, provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the organization, etc. Although they might seem small efforts, the impact can be tremendous. Thus, never overlook even the slightest thing that can be done during onboarding, as it gives you an upper hand in engaging the employee right from day one.
-
Emphasize On Work-Life Balance
One of the major expectations of an employee is that he feels valued in the organization. And ultimately, it is the responsibility of the employer to see to it that the employee isn’t overburdened with the workload, but also has time for oneself. The employer must try to bring in and help the employee in balancing his personal as well as professional life. When the employee understands the concern taken by the employer towards him, it will obviously result in the engagement of the employee.
-
Prioritize Employee Appreciation And Recognition
As mentioned earlier, feeling valued in the organization is an inevitable expectation of the employee. If that is so, why not use it for the company’s advantage as a right strategy? Appreciate and recognize your employees even for the small things they accomplish. Motivate and encourage them to continue their good efforts. Even better if you do it in front of the other colleagues, and it’s sure to increase the morale and satisfaction of the employee. The more the employee feels satisfied and content, the more will be his or her zeal to exhibit competitive behavior.
-
Provide Challenging And Achievable Opportunities
Never overlook also the fact that we are dealing with the millennial workforce, who are quite demanding but also have the potential to contribute greatly. And as employers, you need to understand the ways to direct this potentiality rightly. Provide them with challenging tasks, which increases their sense of responsibility and makes them feel valued. However, make sure to give them tasks that are achievable according to their ability and not just randomly asking them when you know something isn’t possible. This step from you will help the employees trust you more for the trust you exhibited in them with the new and challenging tasks. Thus, it’s sure to engage the employees this way.
-
Let Them Be Listened To
Another effective way of engaging your employees is by listening to them. Let them know that they are not just heard but listened as well. Sometimes the suggestions or the feedback given by the employees has more value and meaning as they are expressed out of the experience. However, whether you implement or not is secondary, but the very fact of you as an employer listening to the employee’s suggestions will truly contribute to their loyalty and engage him towards the organization along with a sense of belonging.
Winding Up
Approaching the end of the article, we can be sure to say that employee engagement is now an integral part that is much beyond job satisfaction and involvement. It is necessary to realize that all productive employees cannot be tagged as engaged ones. Still, for sure, you can tag the engaged employees can be more productive contributors to the benefit of the company by performing the best they could. Thus, it’s high time that employers develop the right strategies and focus on engaging them for the organization’s betterment.
About the Author
Meet Vara is a passionate content writer and an avid reader, having expertise in creating various ideas for creative writing. He is passionate about researching and exploring blogs and checking out the latest trends and replicating his expertise in crafting exclusive content. His approach and readiness towards writing quality content are exceptional.
