Does Employee Engagement Matter?

Employee engagement can be described as a connection between an individual and the organisation they work for. Ideally, an employee will understand and align with the values and goals of the company. It’s about seeing the worth of contributing their time, energy and skills beyond getting paid. But, does employee engagement matter?

Less than a Quarter of Employees Feel Engaged

The latest Gallup ‘State of the Global Workforce’ report states that just 23% of employees feel engaged in their work. Of the rest, 62% feel uninspired and just do the bare minimum and 15% are actively disengaged, with their efforts focused on finding a new role.

Don’t disregard this as one of those studies that represent the views of a handful of respondents. Gallup’s findings are based on feedback from employees in 183,000 businesses across 53 industries in 90 countries.

So, as an employee, are you one of the 23% or are you simply going through the motions to get to the next payday? If this is the case, think about why you stay. There could be another opportunity out there where you can contribute, apply your skills and achieve job satisfaction.

As a manager, do you care if your employees are engaged or are you simply satisfied if they turn up each day and don’t leave you short-staffed? And, if you are a business owner, do you think that employee engagement has any relation to your bottom line?

In this article, I’d like to share why employee engagement matters to the individual and the organisation.

The Benefits of Employee Engagement

The key insights of the Gallup report* suggest significant differences in the performance of the top quartile and the lowest quartile. For a start, those organisations with low employee engagement experience 51% higher staff turnover. This is coupled with higher rates of absenteeism, health & safety incidents and workplace theft.

In contrast, where employees are engaged, the organisation benefits from higher productivity and profitability. What’s more, these businesses show greater resilience to turbulent economic and political circumstances.

On a personal level, when employees have enthusiasm and dedication to their role, well-being is heightened. This improves workplace performance and has a positive impact on other areas of their life.

How to Increase Employee Engagement

There are many factors in building an organisation where employees feel connected, valued and committed. Here are three elements that I believe are fundamental requirements.

1. Identify Company Values

Have you identified what your brand stands for and is this communicated to all employees through every decision the company makes? Beyond the products and services, these values underpin your reputation and how it is perceived. If you want employees to feel proud to work for you, they need to understand and share these guiding principles.

2. Recognise Employee Skills, Knowledge, Experience & Potential

Irrespective of job role or position, every one of your employees has skills, knowledge and experience that can contribute to business success. Do you take time to get to know your team, so you can select the right people to contribute? Are all employees respected, invited to the table and empowered? And, when someone comes up with a great idea, supports others, receives positive feedback or pulls out all the stops, is this recognised?

3. Equip Managers with Training & Coaching

The Gallup report shows a strong correlation between engaged managers and engaged staff. More strikingly, the research suggests that 70% of the variance in team engagement results from managers. This means the performance of everyone in a company can be driven by an inspiring, involved and supportive manager or dampened by an ineffective one.

As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, people are often promoted into management roles due to being experts in their field or loyalty to the company. They step into the role with no experience in managing others and no leadership training or coaching. As such, they are not equipped to discover what drives and motivates the individuals in their team.

Management Training for Employee Engagement

In partnership with Trainers Library, I deliver four modules for managers which focus on employee engagement. I believe these offer a good understanding of the benefits and challenges, with practical steps to help you upskill.

Module One – What’s In It For Me, provides a good foundation for understanding
Module Two – Job or Organisation, focuses on pride in where you work and what you do
Module Three – What Engaging Managers Do, explores skills and behaviours
Module Four – Building Engagement offers practical steps to implement at work

In addition, the focus of performance coaching is often directed towards assisting managers with leadership challenges. This helps individuals consider a range of options and the potential impact, so they can find the most appropriate course of action. I also offer online courses to build specific management capabilities.

Employee Engagement Matters

This article has outlined the benefits of employee engagement to individuals and organisations. It shows that where values are aligned, team members are respected and quality managers have the skills to lead, a company and its staff can thrive. So, what actions will you take to encourage your team to work for more than money?

I’m now taking bookings for employee engagement training in Autumn/Winter 2024. Contact me to find out more. I’m also happy to discuss a tailored ‘pick & mix’ package of training, online courses and leadership coaching to match your business needs.

* https://www.gallup.com/workplace/645416/key-insights-global-workplace.aspx