Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is the extent of care and emotional commitment an employee has for the success of an organization. Engaged employees willingly go above and beyond the call of duty and contribute to an organization’s achievement of its goals. Employee engagement is closely linked to organizational productivity and profitability. Many organizations embrace employee engagement in order to create a healthier and productive work force.

The degree of emotional commitment differs from employee to employee for a number of reasons. Here are some of the key influences on employee engagement:

Hire the right people

A company is only as great as its people. Quality of hiring sets the foundation of a company’s success. Outstanding employees focus on doing quality work. They take pride in what they do and go above and beyond to produce extraordinary results. Passionate, hardworking, and self-disciplined people require less external motivation and require less performance oversight. 

Vision and Culture

Employees connect to the vision and values of company on a personal level. It is essential to clearly articulate those values and beliefs in order to instill them in employees. These guiding principles invisibly influence their commitment and translate into high performance. Employees subconsciously give their hearts to a job if it aligns with their values.

If a company’s culture is warm and fosters a sense of friendship, togetherness, and teamwork, it facilitates the creation of emotional bonds and spreads positive feelings to co-workers in particular, to and the organization in general. A rich company culture nurtures friendships, and brings good vibes, motivation and energy to work.

Recognition

It is important to validate employees so that they feel their work is seen and appreciated. Recognition adds positively to employees’ self-esteem and strengthens the emotional bond with the organization. Well thought-out recognition programs should be woven into the heart of an organization’s culture in order to increase employee engagement.

Everyone’s work is important

A job role is a combination of functional and generic competencies which are narrated in the job description and usually linked to the goal of the department or division, in line with the organization’s goals and objectives. Having clearly defined and understandable job roles provides employees with a sense of purpose and ensures that their work matters to the success of the business – no matter how limited or expansive their job role may be. Every tiny wheel and dial must function in a Swiss watch for it to be great. 

Autonomy

A path to employee engagement and high performance is via guiding employees to self-direction and encouraging autonomy in their work. Doing so germinates a sense of ownership, increases accountability, and builds trust. It enables employees to identify underlying risks, recognize opportunities, and deliver results with confidence. Genuine pride inclines employees to repeat good performance and generates a sense of care for others. 

Performance Management & Growth opportunity

A good performance management system focuses on employees’ strengths and helps them set performance objectives based on their strengths. It is vital to check in frequently with employees about their progress and the effectiveness of their work. This is a form of recognition that makes employees feel that their work is valued. Employees should believe that both the professional and personal wheels of their career journey are moving forward. Growth opportunities strengthen employee loyalty and increase their commitment to the success of the company.

The Manager’s Role

A manager needs to focus on both the engagement and performance of his employees. Clear and regular warm communication with employees is critical to engagement. An employee’s feeling about his manager quietly influences his willingness to perform at work. A good manager inspires his team, considers the heart of his employees and makes a significant difference in their careers and lives.

Conclusion

Employee engagement is not just employee satisfaction or employee happiness. It is, rather, the collaboration of coworkers that plays a key role in the success of individual employees as well as that of the organization as a whole. Employee engagement requires a vision and proactive implementation of plan that promotes employees’ abilities to believe in and connect with the organization on a personal and emotional level.

This article was first published in 2016.