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The importance of comprehensively conceptualizing and tending to employee engagement and well-being across each of the five fundamental components - social, career, monetary, community and physical, cannot be overstated. Mere physical well-being programs alone are not adequate in motivating a flourishing, high-performing workforce. A comprehensive corporate wellness program must be utilized to bring about the necessary change.
According to Forbes, just 53% of firms measure the engagement levels of their employees. Of those that do, only the organizations with the greatest engagement levels – and consequently the greatest development and monetary returns – measure it consistently and continually (instead of a yearly review).
Moreover, optimal utilization of employees' natural gifts and talents has been shown to maximize performance and productivity when employee engagement is high. Work-based burnout is reportedly very low among engaged and highly motivated employees who feel that the work culture of the organization respects their unique talents and qualities.
The work culture of a company often dictates the general atmosphere and productivity of the workforce as well. If the work culture seems off, everything else soon follows. Creating an environment where employees feel excited to come to work leads to various benefits. Work culture and employee engagement are intertwined, and it is difficult to achieve one without the other.
The engagement of the employees can be maintained by providing feedback on the work of an employee as it is submitted and any specific changes in behaviour as it occurs. Waiting until the time of annual performance reviews to give constructive feedback can make workers feel uninterested or disheartened, as the feedback may not be relevant anymore. Instead, giving feedback at regular intervals over the course of the year will lead to the workforce listening to the feedback and making the necessary changes.
According to Gallup, about 47% of employees report that they receive feedback from their manager only "a few times a year" or less, while 19% say that they receive feedback only once a year or less! It would seem that while nobody likes micromanagement, feedback is an important part of the puzzle to keep employees engaged with their work, even more so during turbulent times.
Invest in leadership development programs designed to improve leaders’ ability to engage the team. Many programs don’t bring together the best elements of building trust, enlisting feedback, managing culture and communicating clear expectations. However, improving the quality of the leadership programs will lead to a higher level of engagement between the employees and company leaders, and improve the workflow of the organization as well.
As an HR professional, it quickly becomes evident that holistic well-being often trumps segmented or singular attempts at providing health benefits to employees. Deploying strategies to create and maintain a holistic healthcare plan often leads to dramatic improvements in employee engagement and a morale boost for all of the members of the organization.
This is a way to keep the topic of employee engagement in everyone's memory as a critical part of the company's business strategy, even if it just needs a few minutes to discuss. Evaluating how well the programs are working, any flaws in the system or any triumphs in regard to employee engagement can help refocus on how to make adjustments to the process as needed.
This strategy may include culture-transformation techniques, which is not an easy undertaking. The culture of an organization changes over a long period of time and usually begins with a gradual change in the structure of the company to align with the desired results for improved business. However, firms showing the greatest amounts of employee engagement often prioritize having a conducive work culture and making changes where required.
Offering healthcare services or health insurance often shows a dramatic increase in employee engagement levels. When the employees don't have to contend with basic concerns such as being able to afford a visit to the doctor, they invariably display an increased focus on their work. Providing healthcare and insurance to your workforce is an investment that will, in return, result in increased productivity and improved performance for both employees and the organization as a whole.
As simple as it may sound, it is important to make time for one-on-one meetings with the staff, pay close attention to their needs, and show that their entire experience at the company is valued. This helps make employees feel more comfortable with the organization, leading to increased engagement and productivity.
Actively seeking out greatness:
To dramatically improve the employee experience, it may be a good idea to look for the gifts and talents within all the staff members of the organization, and to implement ways to help the development of each employee's unique talents where possible.
While gauging and improving employee engagement might seem like a daunting task at first, the benefits of going through with it are manifold. With an engaged and productive workforce, the job of the HR professional becomes much more rewarding, as this is usually a direct result of the HR manager’s efforts. It truly does come down to the manager’s best intentions bearing fruit for the company and the individual at the same time.
