A recent Gallup study regarding employee engagement has highlighted
an underwhelming percentage of employees who are engaged (29%)
versus those who are disengaged (54%) and even worse, those who are
actively disengaged (18%).
The study went on to unfold that engaged employees contribute
significantly to the profitability of a given company, to overall customer
satisfaction, and to overall productivity, by upwards of 20% and more.
While disengaged employees – those who are less than satisfied, not
motivated, and ultimately, saving face to receive a paycheck, actively
disengaged employees actually act on their lack of happiness, even
bringing other employees into their level (or lack thereof) of engagement,
and obviously hurting a company’s bottom line.
Engaged employees are motivated to contribute to the success of their
company. They are happy at work and their customers want to continue
doing business with them.
So how do leaders of businesses – both big and small – develop and
encourage employee engagement, and thus, overall company
performance?
Offer Purpose
The first thing that business leaders must do is to consider and promote
the mission of a company. People are motivated by purpose; they like to
feel like they have contributed and connected to something above and
beyond themselves. Consider and evaluate your company’s mission
statement. Is it inspiring and does it encourage passion and “buy-in”
from the employees who are hired to fulfill it? Consider the passion and
purpose behind your company, display it, and share it often.
Model Engagement
Leaders of engaged employees must be engaged themselves. Engaged
leaders are passionate; they want to make a difference through and in
their job. They set the bar high. They are committed to their work and to
the betterment of their colleagues’ performance in a way that is
infectious. They are cheerleaders for their company’s successes and they
are cheerleaders for those below them. It is important that organizations
select managers who are not simply dedicated to getting things done, but
who will go the extra mile to get to know their team’s strengths and
weaknesses, to encourage fulfillment of a company mission, and to get to
know employees on a personal level.
Celebrate Often
Leaders need to highlight and celebrate, often, the positive change that
their company and its employees are bringing to the community, to
customers, to vendors, and to employees themselves. As often as
possible, through weekly meetings, newsletters, and social media, look
for, recognize, and tout the good things that employees will, therein,
want to be apart of and contribute to.
Pay Attention
Business leaders and managers will increase employee engagement by
offering consistent feedback. Leaders should encourage employees to
set goals, and then take note of how those goals are being reached.
Effective leaders should observe and encourage individual strengths and
guide employees to fulfill goals by utilizing those strengths. Engagement
will result when leaders offer feedback to encourage and support
employees toward reaching those goals. By understanding that someone
in leadership appreciates their efforts, employees will be motivated to
perform.
Trust & Empower
While evaluating the very employees that leaders want to engage, it is
crucial to make them feel trusted and empowered. Many companies
make great efforts to hire the best they can, only to micro-manage and
disempower. The most productive employees are those qualified
employees who are often reminded that they were the best candidate for
the job, and their decisions are trusted and encouraged.
Love
Lastly, leaders who want to engage employees need to get to know and
appreciate them on a personal level. Humans want to be connected –
even at work. Any employee who feels valued as an individual will want
to perform. Really get to know – and love and appreciate – employees on
a personal level. Knowing that what is nearest and dearest to their hearts
is of value at work will undoubtedly encourage engagement on the job.
Companies who avoid prioritizing employee engagement, or who are primarily
focused on the bottom line, end up losing the money that engaged employees would
make. Even worse, the cost of the disengaged employee turnover hurts a company’s
bottom line. Is it time for an engagement injection in your company? We can help!
Contact us today.
Reagan Sowa received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Southern Methodist University. After
working in various marketing positions for a few years, and helping her husband start and grow his
business, she received a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Denver and
now teaches Business and Marketing. She loves connecting with people, as well as skiing, running,
writing, and reading, but her favorite thing in life is raising her two amazing children.
