Employer Engagement

by | March 20, 2013

Blog written by Andrea Heuston

 

What would contribute most to your being both happier and more productive at work? How about feeling truly taken care of, appreciated, and trusted by your employer?

More than 100 studies have affirmed the connection between employee engagement and performance, the connection between how we feel at work and how we perform. Feelings of overload and burnout are default emotions in today’s workplace. Higher demand and fewer resources are the new normal. Effectively addressing the issue of capacity — energizing the workplace — depends on the willingness of individuals, leaders and organizations to each take responsibility for their roles.

For businesses and organizations, the challenge is to shift from their traditional focus on getting more out of people, to investing in meeting people’s core needs so they’re freed, fueled, and inspired to bring more of themselves to work, more sustainably.

What does employee engagement mean to an organization? The results are dramatic. Engaged employees perform 38% better and are 87% less likely to leave.

Source: *Corporate Leadership Council

Research estimates that rehiring and retraining new employees costs a company upwards of 15% of their pre-tax income per year.

With high levels of engagement, firms can see revenue growth of 2.5 times that of their peers and a 40% reduction in expensive turnover

Source: *Giving everyone the chance to shine, Haygroup 2010

Here are five ideas that will help your employees feel motivated to take your business to the next level and revitalize your bottom line.

  1. Take the pulse often – use a survey format or one of the cool apps out there like TINYPulse.com.
  2. Create a culture of learning – employees who are learning new skills are more engaged in your organization.
  3. Communicate often – the more information you share, the more transparent your company is, the better employees feel.
  4. Give your employees a sense of purpose – most everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves.
  5. Remember to say thank you often.

For a workplace that really works, it begins with employers and employees truly valuing and investing in one another. What is one thing you can implement today to make a difference in your company’s culture? If you have implemented some of these ideas already, how are they working for you and your employees?