Much has been written about Employee Engagement. In management training we conduct we’re often asked to what level participants think their skills, wisdom, knowledge and experience are currently being utilized, and the average answer is about 50-60%. (and these are managers!!!) What do you then think employees would say?
The level of employee engagement can have a significant impact on productivity. Organizations that have disengaged employees are likely to suffer financial consequences. They are likely to incur costs as a result of increased employee turnover, recruiting costs, the training of new employees and overtime compensation for employees who support vacant positions.
Top tips for engaging employees:
Ensure there is ample top-down communication
Employees will feel more valued if they believe they are being kept informed by senior management of any issues affecting the organization. Quick emails work great.
Where possible, use empowerment as an engagement tool
If the organization’s employees are empowered it will create a greater sense of responsibility and demonstrate a commitment to career development. Matching employee skills with the most suitable job will ensure that your employees are challenged. This is particularly important. If an employee believes that they are not using their skills and knowledge to the full potential, there will be increased disengagement and a strong reason to seek other employment.
Develop clear rules on accountability
Employees can feel particularly disengaged if this issue is not clear. Clear communication on accountability will ensure that all employees are aware of who is responsible for that and there will be no confusion on this issue.
Employee appraisal systems must be clearly understood by employees and consistently applied
The method of performance management is important. There is likely to be increased disengagement with the system if one manager has the sole judgment of an employee’s performance as it might encourage a degree of bias. A 360 degree appraisal system might be considered as an alternative.
Disciplinary issues should be dealt with in a fair and consistent manner
Disengagement will occur when employees believe there is inconsistency in this particularly sensitive area. If employees see a manager not addressing disciplinary issues, there is a sense of “why should I care then”. Employees will demonstrate higher levels of engagement if they receive appropriate levels of training and development. If employees believe that they are receiving enough career development opportunities, it will strengthen their levels of engagement.
Employee engagement is an ongoing process and must be at the forefront of employers’ minds if they are to manage organizations where employee commitment is strong. By actively working to engage employees, the organization will experience considerable benefits.
The TGS System is a one-of-a-kind product that includes:
- The HR Power Centre for implementing professional people management practices, and helping you deal with the day-to-day people management issues that inevitably arise
- 24/7 HR Hot Line answered within 24 hours (but usually within 1 hour!)
- Topical regular Blogs suitable for reprinting (permission required if not a website user/customer)
TwoGreySuits is a leading-edge provider of on-line human resource management information, processes, tools and forms servicing the global market. We have integrated the HR practices associated with the key drivers of Employee Engagement within the well-organized information on the website.
Our website is built on the premise that if you truly see the value and want to manage people professionally, using our tools and information, you will see increased employee engagement levels over time, a win for everyone!
By: Ron Guest, Senior Partner www.twogreysuits.com
