What is Employee Engagement? Importance, tips, and strategies to improve employee engagement

Employee engagement is a sense of purpose at work that inspires extra energy and dedication. Employees who feel connected to their organization are more likely to work harder, stay with the company longer, and encourage others to do the same.

According to a study, 92 percent of business executives believe that employees engaged with their organizations perform better, boosting the success of their team and the organization's results. Employee engagement and well-being are inextricably linked.

When a company invests in its employees' emotional, financial, physical, and occupational well-being, it invests in itself. Furthermore, when employees have the support of their managers, they are:

• 38% more involved with their work
• 28% more likely to recommend their organization as a great workplace
• 17% more likely to stay there even after a year

Table of Contents

1. What is employee engagement?
2. Drivers of employee engagement
3. Why is employee engagement important?
4. How to measure employee engagement?
5. Tips to improve employee engagement rate at workplaces
6. How can HR software help in improving employee engagement?

What is employee engagement?

The foundation of employee engagement is the business’s and its employees' integrity, trust, communication, and two-way commitment. It will improve productivity, business success, well-being, and contribution to organizational and individual performance. It can be nurtured and grown or ignored.

Employee engagement is concerned with an individual's role in an organization and being motivated to contribute to the organization's goals and objectives. It is associated with an individual's participation as a team member, focusing on clear goals, empowering, receiving constructive feedback, developing skills, being thankful, and recognizing accomplishments.

Drivers of employee engagement

Employee engagement is widely accepted to be driven by two factors: organizational and managerial. Furthermore, in today's digital age, much less in-person interaction and rising on-demand technology from texts and chats to news feeds and social media updates are lowering employee engagement. As a result, extensive research has been conducted to identify the elements responsible for regulating employee engagement levels.

Organizational Drivers

According to some studies, organizations are a significant driver of employee engagement. Quantum Workplace, for example, identified six highly influential drivers of employee engagement:

1. The leaders of the organizations are committed to making it a wonderful place to work.
2. Put your faith in the organizational leaders to steer you in the right direction.
3. The belief that the organization will triumph in the future.
4. Perception of how an individual fits into the organization's long-term goals.
5. Employees are treated and respected as the organization's most valuable resource by its leaders.
6. The organization invests in making its employees more successful.

Managerial Drivers

Employee engagement skyrockets when employees have positive interactions with their immediate manager or supervisor daily. The following are examples of an employee's immediate supervisor's behavior related to employee engagement:

• Factors such as:
  
  • what the employee receives (such as resources and consistent expectations),
  • what the employee provides (such as their contribution),
  • whether the employee fits in the organization (based on the company's mission and colleagues),
  • whether the employee can thrive (for example, by receiving feedback about their performance and learning opportunity).
• Employees have a positive relationship with their manager or supervisor.
• Employees have the tools they need to complete their tasks effectively.
• Employees have the authority needed to do their job effectively.
• Employees are free to make their own work decisions.

All of these factors will have an impact on employee engagement. The key is to identify and focus on the drivers that will significantly impact employee engagement. Then, you can locate the most important drivers and factors and implement employee engagement strategies.

Why is employee engagement important?

Engagement is the most critical differentiator when it comes to development and innovation. Employee engagement activities drive performance. They assess the entire company understands its purpose, know-how, and where they fit in. As a result, it leads to more informed decisions. As a result, companies with an engaged workforce outperform their competitors.

Furthermore, employees' assumptions have shifted. Jobs for mobile professionals are far more popular than "jobs for lifers." Keeping skilled professionals is more complex than it used to be. An organization with effective employee engagement strategies and highly engaged employees is more likely to attract talented performers and recruit new talent.

Employee engagement has emerged as an essential driver of business growth in today's combative marketplace. A high level of engagement promotes skill retention, consumer loyalty, stakeholder value, and organizational performance. Engaged organizations have compelling and authoritative values that consistently indicate fairness and trust based on mutual respect. Employers' and employees' collective commitments and promises are fulfilled and acknowledged.

How to measure employee engagement?

Employee engagement surveys are designed to assess contributors' strategic alignment, accomplishment, competency, and satisfaction. As a result, to provide beneficial effects, employee engagement surveys must be statistically validated and benchmarked against other companies. 

Employee engagement can be accurately measured with brief surveys that consist of only a few questions; however, such short surveys can only demonstrate whether or not employees are engaged. Furthermore, such surveys make it difficult to explain why employees are engaged or disengaged due to a lack of detail. An organization cannot establish significant activities, strategies, training programs, and tasks to increase levels of engagement if there is insufficient information.

To comprehend the entire scenario of employee engagement, a survey should include 50 to 80 questions covering a wide range of related topics. In addition, the survey should also have open-ended questions to elicit additional information about potential engagement issues in an organization. In a nutshell, an employee's emotional commitment to the organization represents their level of engagement.

Tips to improve employee engagement rate at workplaces

How can leaders tell if their organization's employees are engaged? Their team members must be able to state the following confidently:

• I am well aware of what is expected of me and the quality of my work.
• I have the necessary training and resources to excel in my position.
• Every day, I have the opportunity to excel at what I do.
• I frequently receive an acknowledgment, praise, and constructive criticism.
• I have faith in my manager and believe they are looking out for my best interests.
• My voice is heard and appreciated.
• All of my goals, objectives, and contributions are clear to me.
• I have the opportunity to learn and grow both professionally and personally.

The procedure for increasing employee engagement is straightforward, but it must be prioritized. It means that engagement must be the primary function of the manager's or supervisor's role. The following steps can be taken to improve employee engagement:

• Assign Everyone to the Correct Role

It is critical to hire the right person and assign them the appropriate role. Furthermore, it aids in talent acquisition and retention aligned with the organization's goals.

• Train Them

No supervisor or leader can establish a culture of employee engagement without introducing employees to the organization's norms. Provide the employees with training to guide them about the role and responsibilities and organizational culture and diminish the obstacles.

• Meaningful Work Should Be Assigned

Employees who are engaged tend to do more meaningful work and outperform those who are disengaged. Again, it is critical to assign the appropriate role to the right person. If you fail to do so, you risk losing an efficient workforce.

• Frequently check-in

Mid-year reviews are no longer sufficient to understand an employee's engagement. Therefore, it is critical to keep an eye on employees and provide feedback regularly—check-in on them at least once a week, both formally and informally.

• Discuss Engagement Frequently

Discuss employee engagement strategies regularly. Great leaders communicate openly with their teams and develop them while meeting their objectives.

Again, these steps are not complicated; they simply need to be prioritized. Organizations that get it right generate higher financial returns, outperform the competition, and quickly rise to the top of the list of "the best places to work."

How can HR software help in improving employee engagement?

The introduction of HR software has eliminated a significant amount of manual labor from the roles and responsibilities of the HR department. HR software has several key features, including removing paperwork, discrepancies, and the ease of tracking and communicating. There are five ways that HR software can help in increasing employee engagement. There are several:

• Social Networking in Business

There should be centralized in-house platforms for all employees to connect and communicate about professional matters. It will facilitate overall employee communication without impediments or barriers. In addition, an enterprise social networking platform can foster fruitful interactions and brainstorming among employees, boosting morale.

• Performance Management System

Leaders must provide feedback regularly, rather than waiting an entire year and saving feedback for annual review. It is simple to do with HR software. An integrated HR software system keeps track of employees' performance throughout their employment. A regular meeting to provide feedback can help employees perform better.

• Reimbursement Management

Employees frequently spend personal funds on tasks related to the organization. Complicated HR procedures for reimbursing money can leave employees dissatisfied and demotivated. The reimbursement process should be flawless, simple, and quick so that employees do not have to go through too much trouble or wait too long.

• Efficient Payroll

When it comes to motivating and satisfying employees, money is one of the most critical factors. The compensation system should be consistent, timely, and adhere to industry standards. HR software has simplified the process and reduced errors when distributing compensation. Payroll can be linked to an employee's timesheet, making payroll computation easier.

• Shift Planning

Employees' working hours should be well planned to promote maximum productivity. Employees should be given flexible working hours tailored to their specific needs. HR software provides excellent roster management, allowing HR personnel to make complex decisions about staffing needs, on-call hours, overtime, work expenses, and more.

Conclusion

Employee engagement is a buzzword in business these days. Leaders must maximize engagement levels in today's dynamic world to provide their organizations with a competitive advantage. Check out the all-inclusive Carbonate app to work with ease and increase employee engagement in your organization.