Why Is Employee Engagement So Important Nowadays?
In a world driven by companies, employees are a vital part of every organization. Without them in the right places, no business can be profitable or hope to operate anywhere near its peak performance.
Most of the business owners nowadays know that employees are the foundation upon which a business is built. Unfortunately, the new era made a lot of things difficult for businesses. One of them is keeping the right people in their right places.
From hyperconnectivity to growth, a lot of factors affect the world economy. Workers are less likely to remain with the same company and have made careers their new norm. This is where employee engagement breaks through as an important topic – and one that we are observing in detail below.
What Is Engagement?
By definition, engagement is “the action of engaging with someone or something”. However, the best way to describe engagement in the workplace is through an example based on ‘engaged employees’.
Engaged employees are the ones that feel a strong emotional and personal connection to their workplace. They are the type that is enthusiastic, passionate, and willing to throw themselves into tasks with their maximum effort. They are also likely to achieve the best possible results and be proud of everything they have done.
On the other hand, non-engaged employees are more likely to do their job and nothing more.
So, the purpose of employee engagement is becoming more and more important nowadays. The section below talks more about it.
What Is the Purpose of Employee Engagement – And Why Is It So Important?
Did you know that we are living in a world where more than a quarter of employees are at high risk of turnovers?
While this is a fact that doesn’t amaze many workers – it is also a fact that is staggering towards employers, HR consultants and HR technology in general. In times when the competition for top talent is fierce and the cost of training new hires is high, no company can afford not to engage its employees.
The purpose of employee engagement, therefore, is to attract and retain the top talent – so that they could stay, devote to the organization, and fully align to its success goals. This way, everyone would save – both the company and the employees (if they are treated right).
So, how to get employees engaged and prevent this from happening?
There is no single answer to this question. However, there is a growing number of tools out there that help with employee engagement and ones that deliver lasting results. Some of the best ways to raise employee engagement are the following:
- A top-down commitment to making employee engagement a company culture
- Clear and well-defined purposes
- An understanding of the simple engagement principles (engaged leadership, purpose, transparency, action, and commitment)
- Measuring and scoring various engagement levels on an ongoing basis
All in all, the best way to boost employee engagement is to know the basics around inspiring your workforce, rewarding their efforts, having a way to measure the results of your actions, and committing to making an engagement something important – and unavoidable.
Common Misconceptions About Employee Engagement
There are several misconceptions about employee engagement in the workplace nowadays – most of which linked to its definition. The topic is much discussed in the corporate world nowadays.
However, there are many companies that fail to understand it. More importantly, they fail to make most of it in their environment.
For some businesses, the main misconception is that employee engagement is nice to have – instead of seeing it as a process that places a high value on receiving regular praise and reward on their employees.
For others, employee engagement is the same as employee happiness. They think that if their employees are happy, they are also engaged – which is definitely not true.
A number of companies think that higher wages equal to higher employee engagement. However, the value coming from higher wages is actually an invisible reward that is quickly forgotten.
Lastly, there is the mindset that employee engagement costs a fortune. However, making an employee feel valued and rewarded definitely doesn’t cost the earth – as long as the appropriate rewards are chosen and proper actions are taken.
Reasons Why Employee Engagement Plays an Important Role in Each Company
The best way to start seeing the engagement of employees as more than just an afterthought is to understand its benefits.
For starters, employee engagement helps the cause of marketing. Employees who are engaged are doing more than just working for their payroll – and are more than willing to help out when the company they work for pursues a noble cause.
On top of this, businesses need to understand that better engagement means better productivity. Engaged employees are less likely to quit – and less inclined to look for other employment opportunities. This can save a company a fortune in terms of payroll solutions.
In the world of human relations and HR solutions, HR consultants need to understand that engaged employees are positive. They are less likely to have negative feelings or feelings of disconnection and disengagement. Seeing this benefit can again save a company a lot of money in its HR technology and the overall approach to its employees.
Last but not least is the fact that employees who are engaged feel satisfied and are more philanthropically minded. They connect with people, love what they are doing, and enjoy coming to work. In the same way, they communicate and engage with each other in stimulating discussions, putting their creativity, and resourcefulness into action.
A Final Word
In the end, it is safe to say that employee engagement affects a business in many ways. More and more people are coming to work more than to ‘just work’. The goal is to identify the things that motivate your employees and then put them in a solid place so that they are motivated and pushed to contribute.
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