Keep Employees Engaged and You Might Just Keep Them

In yesterday’s Advisor, we heard from Vip Sandhir, CEO and founder of HighGround®, on the topic of employee engagement. Today we’ll hear what he has to say about how to help increase engagement.

Q. Who is responsible for increasing employee engagement?

A. Engagement comes from the top down. Even if HR is responsible for implementing new systems and listening to feedback, it all starts with the C-suite. That’s because company culture begins with leadership.

While it’s HR’s job to act as the facilitator that spreads company culture, it’s the leaders at the C-suite level that need to dictate what the culture should be. If leadership prioritizes employee engagement, it will trickle down throughout the entire organization.

Q. What is the first step to increasing employee engagement?

A. HR needs to have a seat at the table. Changing the way a business views HR is the first thing a company needs to do to increase employee engagement. Right now there is a shift occurring, bringing about a new breed of HR executives.

HR is no longer about administrative work, but is focused instead on the actual voice of the employees. This new breed of HR puts people first. A concrete example of this change is the rise of the “Chief People Officer.” HR’s core function used to be administrative tasks, but, by evolving that role, increased employee engagement will follow naturally.

Q. Once employees are engaged, what should HR do with those insights?

A. By understanding the mood of a company through sentiment tracking and pulse checks, executives can use results to create an open dialogue for positive change. Once employees are engaged, HR can use feedback to find inefficiencies and roadblocks within an organization—and can even address them before they become a real problem.

Using employee insights, management can be more confident in major decisions impacting the business. Once a collaborative feedback culture is established, leadership will know their teams’ insights ahead of time and will keep them in mind. Their workforce will already have trust in management because they know their voices are heard. With the trust and engagement in place, management can either utilize employees’ opinions to make decisions or can at least know its decisions will be accepted positively because of the culture it has established.

Of course, keeping employees engaged isn’t the only thing you have to worry about—it’s never just one thing in the world of HR! Retention and turnover are also on every HR manager’s front burner. Turnover is your organization’s most debilitating disease. Retention—of the people you want to retain—is the backbone of your organization’s success. Gain an advantage with our guide, Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization. Check it out now!

This second HR Playbook from BLR explores the many facets of retention and engagement, giving practical guidance, new approaches, and proven methods for achieving excellence in these challenging times.

Learn about the following crucial issues regarding retention and employee satisfaction:

• The high cost of undesirable turnover
• Recruiting and hiring for the long haul
• Management’s role in retention
• The value of strong mentoring
• Perks that employees truly value
• And much more!

When do you start thinking about retention? On day one. Start strategizing today with Employee Retention and Satisfaction: How to Attract, Retain, and Engage the Best Talent at Your Organization.

Click here to learn more or order your copy today!