HR services and staffing company Randstad conducts regular surveys regarding employee engagement, and the results from the last two annual surveys reveal the rising role of training in keeping employees engaged.
Here are the five top workplace considerations Randstad identified in its 2013 study:
- Flexible work arrangements or reduced hours: While only one-in-seven employees say their employers offer a reduced schedule or flex hours during the summer months, 91 percent of those who are offered summer flex time say it improves morale and 80 percent say it increases productivity—suggesting this is one of the most effective methods of engagement.
- Seek employee input: Encouraging employees to share their ideas and opinions makes them feel valued by their team and allows them to develop professionally.
- Stimulating workplace: Fostering a comfortable and challenging work environment keeps employees inspired and engaged, with 22 percent of respondents ranking this as a top engagement tool.
- Bonuses and promotions: Rewarding high performers with bonuses and promotions is cited as the number one tool for employee engagement (ranked as the top engagement tool by 30 percent of respondents).
- Invest in training and skill enhancement activities: Empower employees with opportunities to expand their abilities through training, development and continuing education—which ultimately benefit the employer as well.
Notice that training comes in at number five.
Are you struggling to keep employees engaged in contributing to a productive workplace environment? Could you use some practical, professional pointers? Check out BLR’s July 16 webinar, “Engaging Employees with RESPECT.” Learn more.
Now let’s look at the 2014 Randstad Engagement Study. This year Randstad offers these five considerations for employers to build a more inspired and productive team in 2014, based on data from the Engagement Study:
1. Foster a culture where employees can feel their time away from the office truly is their time. The blurring of lines between home and work was seen as having increased the productivity of employees at their company by only 46 percent of employers, down slightly compared to November 2012. This suggests “constant connectivity” does not necessarily equate to increased productivity. In fact, only two in five employees (40 percent) reported that the blurring of lines between work and home has increased their productivity.
2. Cultivate a more dynamic workforce by asking less conventional questions when interviewing candidates to determine if they are the right cultural fit. Employers selecting cultural fit as among the two most important traits for prospective employees doubled from 15 percent to 30 percent since November 2012. In fact, being a good cultural fit was the second highest ranked factor after work ethic, outranking education, relevant on-the-job experience, and knowledge of the industry.
3. Satisfy employees’ hunger to continue learning and enhance their skillsets through training and development programs or encouraging them to attend seminars during the workweek.Two in five employees (40 percent) said training and development are among the most important skills for growing their career today, while collaboration and teamwork was only deemed important by 26 percent of respondents.
4. Establish a social media policy so employees understand the guidelines in place. While staying connected is important, it’s important that social media does not distract employees from their time at work. Facebook was reported to be the most popular diversion for employees, with 11 percent of workers spending an hour or more on the site for personal use every day. For an 8-hour workday, that’s more than 12 percent of the entire day. Communicating appropriate uses helps ensure employees are using their time in productive, career-building ways.
5. Provide employees with a defined career path. Less than half (44 percent) of employees reported they aspire to have their boss’s position, but it’s important employees know they are valued and are part of the long-term business plan. Provide opportunities for professional growth and offer new challenges to keep employees stimulated by their roles.
Notice that training has moved up to number three.
To learn more about the Randstad Engagement Study and other Randstad research, visit Randstad’s Workforce360 thought leadership platform.
Looking for the key to effective employee engagement? Look no further than BLR’s July 16 webinar, “Engaging Employees with RESPECT.” Sign up risk-free.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Is your workplace a hotbed of rudeness, disrespect, and personality conflicts? Do your employees share and collaborate, or do you find the work is not getting done because of sniping and resistance? Perhaps your workplace needs a tune-up and an injection of respect and civility.
Research demonstrates a clear link between employee engagement and all aspects of organizational vitality, including productivity, quality, innovation, compliance, retention, customer loyalty, and the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of employees. One of the most significant factors impacting employee engagement is the degree to which they feel respected at work—especially from their supervisor and coworkers.
Disrespectful workplace behaviors—harassment, discrimination, prejudice, and bullying—are allowed to run rampant in many organizations. These not only decrease employee engagement and increase turnover but also contribute to a hostile workplace environment and can result in legal action.
For your organizations to thrive, you need to create a culture of RESPECT that is truly lived by all and where people are held accountable when they act disrespectfully. This webinar will explain specific strategies to increase respect in your workplace:
Engaging Employees with RESPECT:
How to Boost Productivity, Quality, Innovation, and Retention
Webinar coming Wednesday, July 16, 2014
1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Eastern/10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific
You will learn:
- The critical difference between employee engagement and motivation
- Why traditional reward and recognition programs decrease overall employee morale and productivity
- How respect can create a productive atmosphere for your team
- Examples of respectful and disrespectful workplace behaviors—so you can gauge how your workplace sizes up in the respect department
- How to create a respectful workplace culture using an actionable philosophy known as the RESPECT model
In just 90 minutes, learn best practices for transforming your workplace environment, engaging employees, and meeting objectives as a cohesive team.