When a company has high employee engagement, it means its people are committed to the company’s values, goals, and work. In other words, engaged employees are involved and show up not because they get paid but because they are emotionally invested in the company. An organization that encourages and supports employee engagement will therefore generally perform better.
The Importance of Employee Engagement
Here are the benefits of employee engagement:
Improved Employee Safety: As employees become engaged and connected to their workplaces, they become more aware of their surroundings. Rather than worrying about whether they are their boss’s favorite or if there is room for improvement, engaged employees concentrate on their tasks. Therefore, there typically are fewer safety incidents in highly engaged workplaces.
Boosted Employee Productivity: Engagement is usually a sign of success, as employees who are invested in their roles have a higher productivity rate than those who aren’t. Also, employees who are thriving and feeling good about their support to the company are also proud to work for it, come to work happy, and feel valued.
Increased Customer Satisfaction: Employees who are passionate about their job are best suited to interact with customers. Passion is infectious, and customers will take note. As employee engagement increases, workers’ efforts will increase, resulting in increased productivity levels, a satisfied sales force, and a great product pitch. Customers will therefore have a better experience when interacting with engaged employees.
Improved Company Culture: Engaged employees are easier to work with, as they embody the culture of employee engagement, or a workplace designed around its company values. Creating such a culture requires checking in with employees to ensure the company mission aligns with how they work and what they need to work. Recognizing and celebrating the most engaged employees is a step toward developing an engagement culture.
How to Increase Employee Engagement Effectively
Employee engagement can be enhanced through the following ways:
Provide the Right Tools: Employees should have the tools necessary to perform and succeed in their roles, enabling infrastructure. Company infrastructure includes the processes and tools used to work and the organizational capabilities at their disposal.
Assign Everyone the Right Role: Get the right people on board, and ensure they’re in the right roles. This means aligning talent acquisition and retention strategies to company objectives.
Provide Proper Training: A manager or leader who expects to build a culture of accountability and trust should set the team up for success. This entails providing proper development and training and eliminating obstacles.
Listen to Employees: Influential leaders obtain feedback from employees and then act on it. This is why annual employee surveys are substituted in some companies with monthly or quarterly surveys—there are more performance conversations within these organizations. A comprehensive approach to obtaining feedback helps an organization identify and address problems while making employees feel valued.
How to Increase Efficiency in Employees
Flexible Work Hours: Open work hours don’t restrict employees to a fixed schedule. Employees can work when they are most efficient and productive, and the flexibility may translate into working late for one person or early for another. Allowing your employees to pick their hours also makes them happier.
Match Tasks to Skills: Knowing your employees’ behavioral styles and skills is essential to maximize efficiency. For instance, an extrovert creative would be good at pitching ideas to clients. Don’t expect your employees to be good at everything.
Update Your Technology: Introduce technology that will increase work efficiency. For example, investing in iPads can help your employees work remotely, while tablets can simplify the receipt of packages and inform employees about guests.
Encourage Teambuilding: Teambuilding can enhance the flow of information in your organization, and productivity in the workplace increases when there’s better communication among employees. So, look for ways for employees to work in groups, and schedule time for departmental collaborations.
The Negative Effects of No Employee Engagement
Employee Dissatisfaction: Poor engagement is one reason for employee dissatisfaction; people want to feel appreciated and vital.
The Company Stagnates: Engaged employees are innovative and devise ways to move the company forward. On the other hand, disengaged employees are oblivious to company objectives and values.
Reduced Returns and Increased Costs: This is due to disrupted workplaces and company stagnation. Disengaged employees drain a company’s resources and time and may drive away engaged employees.
Hurts Collaboration: Employee collaboration encourages creative problem-solving, innovation, and creativity, but employee disengagement negatively affects project collaboration, as these disengaged workers may withdraw and stay away from each other. This is why managers should prioritize collaboration.
Taylor McKnight is an author for Management Training Institute.