Employee Engagement That Works

Why is employee engagement so important to your company?

I’ve read several articles lately that are buzzing about employee engagement. So what’s all the fuss about? In today’s changing economic landscape, recruiting, retaining and motivating top talent is extremely important and the best way to do it seems to be through engagement.

First and foremost, companies engage employees to retain them. According to the 2009 Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report, 55 percent of employees plan to change “jobs, careers or industries” when the economy recovers. Therefore, companies should take proactive steps starting now to engage these employees and ensure they prevent unwanted turnover down the line.
If retaining these individuals isn’t enough reason for engagement, employers who are able to engage employees have also claimed they notice higher levels of commitment and productivity. Thus, employers may want to consider creating vehicles that will connect their valued employees.
The following is a compiled list of several strategies for employee engagement:

• Create more open dialogue – encourage feedback from employees by conducting surveys, implementing an employee suggestion program, etc.
• Build connections – find ways to connect employees to their work, team and organization as a whole.
• Take relationships to a deeper level – Consider creating a culture of inclusion and mutual support between employees and managers. Employees look for employers who are authentic and transparent.
• Create opportunity for growth and ownership across the organization.
• Always demonstrate consistency between what is said and what is done and hold accountability for these actions.
• Consider collaboration – According to a recent survey, nearly half of senior executives and managers say that collaboration would increase productivity within their company. Consider how this would affect the efficiency and effectiveness within your own organization.

When it comes down to it, employees simply want to feel a connection to their employer. Companies should take the steps necessary to involve their top talent at different levels of engagement if they’d like to recruit, retain and motivate these valued individuals in the future.