The good news is that,
according to the latest Gallup survey at the end of 2014, employee engagement
in the US is at its highest level since 2000 but it still isn’t good. Here’s what they found:
31.5% of employees are
engaged
51% are not engaged
17.5% are actively
disengaged
It is estimated that
disengaged workers cost the US economy approximately $300 billion in lost
productivity annually. Employee
engagement corresponds to the level of the staff members’ commitment and connection
to the organization they support.
High levels of engagement translate to increases in customer
satisfaction, employee retention and productivity.
One way organizations can gauge whether or not their
employees are engaged is by doing employee surveys or by holding focus groups
to ask questions around how employees are feeling about the work, the
organization, and its leadership.
Leaders and managers who listen carefully to their employees in meetings
or in one on one situations have a much better chance of having engaged
employees than those who aren’t good listeners.
The Big Book of HR
(available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble) has an entire chapter on employee
engagement. Included is a sample
engagement survey that you may find useful as you attempt to understand your
current employee population and what’s important to then.
One of the things that
fuels employee engagement is when people are proud of where they work. Being a good corporate citizen in
whatever community the organization is in is hugely impactful on employee
engagement. This doesn’t mean you
have to be a household name—just that you actively support your local community
or pick a charity to sponsor—employees love getting behind a good cause and
making a difference.
Another way to build
engagement and also give back to the community is to volunteer for causes that
matter to your employees. Some
organizations ask employees to nominate a favorite charity and select that
group to sponsor for a year. Others select organizations where not only are you
giving back to the community but you are building teams such as volunteering
for Habitat for Humanity. The
organization makes a donation to the organization and then employees work on a
build site for a day and in the process, get to know each other while
supporting a good cause.
Of course, we know that to
have engaged workers, you have to pay them fairly so it is important to
participate in salary and benefits surveys in your market to be sure you are
competitive. Pay and benefits are
only part of what is now called “Total Rewards Programs” which, in addition to
pay and benefits, also include recognition programs and flexible work
schedules. Employees want to be
recognized for the good work they do and, now more than ever, having flexible
work arrangements have a hugely positive impact. (See the Total Rewards chapter in The Big Book of HR).
Investing in your
employees by showing genuine interest in them as individuals and in their
well-being will go a long way toward having a more engaged workforce.
