Employee engagement

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment and connection that an employee has with their employer. Engaged employees tend to show enthusiasm for their work, feel a sense of purpose and belonging, and be willing to go the extra mile to contribute to their organization's success. This involves not only being satisfied with their job but also feeling deeply connected to the company's values, goals, and mission. 

Employee engagement is a complex topic that requires buy-in from all levels of management to improve and maintain across an organization.

Why is employee engagement important?

Employee engagement is crucial for several reasons: 

1. Engaged employees tend to be more productive, innovative, enthusiastic, and loyal to their organization. 

2. Employees who feel engaged with their jobs usually take ownership of their work.

3. Engaged employees often provide better service, which can lead to improved customer satisfaction.

4. Because of the heightened customer satisfaction, employee engagement can lead to higher sales, repeat business, customer referrals, and increased profitability. 

5. High levels of engagement can also reduce employee turnover, which can save money that the organization might otherwise spend on recruitment, hiring, and training replacement employees. 

6. Engaged employees tend to contribute to a positive workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent. A positive workplace culture and a low employee turnover rate can contribute to the organization's success in the long term.

How to improve your employees' engagement

A high level of employee engagement leads to better business outcomes. Some strategies to improve employee engagement can include:

• Ensuring clear communication: Open and transparent communication from leadership can help employees better understand the organization's goals and their role in achieving them.

• Providing recognition and rewards: Acknowledging and rewarding employees for their efforts and achievements can provide a surprisingly large boost in employee morale and motivation.

• Fostering professional development: By offering various and ongoing opportunities for employees to develop their skills and grow in their careers, organizations can demonstrate their investment in their employees' long-term success.

• Facilitating a good work-life balance: Encouraging a healthy balance between work and personal life by offering flexible work arrangements or paid time off can reduce employees' stress and improve their level of engagement.

• Encouraging an inclusive workplace: A diverse, inclusive workplace not only draws from a richer pool of insights and abilities, it fosters a sense of belonging and engagement among all the organization's employees.

• Offering wellness programs: By providing employees with resources for physical and mental well-being, organizations can enhance employees' overall satisfaction and engagement.

• Providing regular feedback: When management offers continuous feedback and conducts regular performance evaluations, employees may be better equipped to understand their strengths and areas for improvement. This can lead to career growth and deeper employee engagement.

• Training all levels of management: Managers on all levels of the organization should be well-versed in how to engage their team members most effectively. 

By implementing these strategies and prioritizing employee well-being, organizations can foster a highly engaged workforce, which results in improved productivity and overall business success.

Employee engagement metrics

Although measuring employee engagement is not exactly straightforward, there are several metrics organizations can use to quantify the level at which their employees are engaged with their work, their jobs, and their employers.

1. Employee retention rate

Employee retention is a measurement of the number of people who remain employed by an organization, and it is an excellent gauge of employee engagement levels. Satisfied employees tend to stay put.

2. Voluntary employee turnover rate

Between hiring and training costs and decreased productivity during periods of short staffing, employee turnover can be costly for any organization. Highly engaged employees are less likely to leave their positions voluntarily. A higher voluntary turnover rate can be an indication that employee engagement is low.

3. Absenteeism

Another metric that can help determine an organization's level of employee engagement is absenteeism. High absenteeism in the workplace can indicate a poor working environment, less-than-optimal leadership, a substandard work-life balance, and overall low employee engagement. 

4. Employee satisfaction

Employee engagement and employee satisfaction are inextricably intertwined. Conducting periodic employee satisfaction surveys can help an organization improve its level of employee engagement, provided the organization pays attention to the feedback gleaned through these surveys. Some sample questions to ask in an employee satisfaction survey could include:

• Do you feel valued and heard at work?

• Can you see a way to advance your career within the organization?

• Do you have a good working relationship with your coworkers and your manager?

• Do you feel challenged in your job?

• Does your job make good use of your skills and talents?

• Do you feel that management cares about your well-being?

5. Employee performance

Engaged employees tend to perform better in their job roles. Employee performance metrics can help an organization to understand employee engagement. Employee performance metrics can include:

• Work quantity metrics, such as number of sales, number of calls taken, number of items produced, or handling time

• Work quality metrics, such as customer satisfaction or number of errors

• Organizational performance metrics, such as human capital return on investment (ROI) and revenue per employee

6. Customer satisfaction

Again, engaged employees tend to perform better in their job responsibilities, which will naturally lead to higher customer satisfaction. However, keep in mind that it is important to find a balance between engaged employees and satisfied customers; employees shouldn't be burning themselves out just to please the customers!

How to measure employee engagement

There are multiple ways to measure employee engagement within an organization, many of which involve asking employees directly for feedback. Some methods of measuring employee engagement can include:

• Conducting employee surveys, gathering and analyzing feedback, and using the feedback to make positive changes within the organization

• Holding one-on-one meetings with managers and encouraging those managers to do the same with their direct reports

• Facilitating focus groups and small-group discussions

• Conducting interviews throughout the employee life cycle — not just hiring interviews and exit interviews