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You’ve probably heard the term “Employee
Engagement” used to describe a best practice
within an organization. But what does it look like,
and how do we know when our employees are
engaged?
In a somewhat simplistic sense, employee
engagement is a focused approach in theworkplace
that results in happy employees, committed to the
organization, who are giving their best each and
everyday. Theseemployeesbelieve in the company,
are proud to work there, and are committed to the
success of the organization. It is up to employers to
set the stage for a culture of employee engagement
– by creating the right conditions so employees will
strive to reach their individual potential, and create
successful outcomes for the organization.
There are several ways to tell if your employees
are fully engaged in their work and in the company
culture. How is their attitude? Engaged employees
are generally very positive and upbeat. They look
forward to coming to work each day, and actively
seek out opportunities for contribution. They are
eager to discuss ideas and work to inspire those
around them. Engaged employees are great to
have on a team, because of their positive attitude
and the fact that they will “cheerlead” others.
Engaged employees also feel pride in the company
or organization. They have a deep sense of loyalty,
and will quite often go the extra mile to ensure
work is done to a high standard.
Numerous research studies and surveys have been
done around the topic of employee engagement.
The findings are fairly universal in suggesting that
employee engagement actually drives bottom line
results for companies. This is partly due to the fact
that the majority of engaged employees believe
they can make a difference for their company in
the areas of productivity, product quality, customer
service and cost containment.
Unfortunately, employee engagement isn’t
something we can implement! It requires a
concerted effort on the part of the top leadership
to actively create a culture of engagement. Leaders
cannot mandate engagement. It has to grow
organically in the right environment. It starts with
two-way communication. Leaders need to share
their vision for the company down to the lowest
level in the organization. They need to be willing to
listen to comments and ideas, and show gratitude
to the employees who are sharing their thoughts
BY MEGAN PATTON
ENGAGINGYOUR
EMPLOYEES FOR SUCCESS
SOAR TO SUCCESS
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J
une
2016
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Business Acceleration Strategies