Employee Engagement: Vital Key to Business Success – Part 1

Have you ever observed an employee on the job who was obviously just putting in their time for a paycheck and nothing more? How about someone who worked so hard, enthusiastically and consistently you thought they owned the company? What is the primary difference between these two employees?  In a word, it’s engagement.

What is employee engagement? Full engagement goes beyond basic job satisfaction; it’s the degree to which workers are fully committed, involved and enthusiastic about their jobs. Engaged employees carry out their work for the higher purpose of ensuring that the company’s best interests are served. Strong employee engagement is what fuels the level of productivity and performance necessary to achieve optimal efficiency and profitability. An engaged employee will often use the term “we” instead of “they” when talking about company matters. 

Employee engagement results in multiple benefits to a company.  Some of them are:  

• Greater employee retention
• Improved customer service and loyalty 
• Increased cooperation and collaboration 
• More individual initiative and creativity 
• Increased productivity and performance 
• A strong competitive advantage in the marketplace 
• More likely to attract top talent 
• Improved employee morale 
• More satisfying personal life for leadership and team members 

So, now you understand how beneficial it is to have engaged employees. What can you do to create an environment at your company to help your employees stay motivated, loyal, and committed to excellence? How do you help them care enough to do their best?  

Here are the first three of ten strategies to promote employee engagement:

1. Don’t skimp on strategic recognition. Say “thank you” for achieved benchmarks or extra effort. Tell your employees through intentional words and phrases that they are noticed, appreciated and valued. Tangible forms of recognition can be very rewarding, like Certificates of Appreciation for specific accomplishments, public acknowledgements or awards. But never underestimate the value of a simple “thank you!” 
2. Help your employee see how their contribution directly or indirectly benefits the company’s goals. When an employee understands how their effort and performance impacts the strategic objectives of a company – both positively and negatively – they are more likely to choose to do excellent work rather than shoddy work.  
3. Keep employees informed of relevant organizational developments and changes. People need to feel included and informed, especially when decisions and changes affect them directly or indirectly. Being kept in the dark causes worry and frustration and can break the employees’ trust, which will shift their focus from “the good of the company” to “taking care of Number One.” People need to know what’s going on so they can process, adapt and embrace changes. 

That’s all we will cover for today, but check in next time for the remaining seven important tips for creating employee engagement and helping your staff and company grow together.

Live, Work and Relate Well!

Dr. Todd