Shifting the Perspective: Prioritizing Employee Engagement

It’s no secret that the workforce is changing— gone are the days when employees’ output and time worked were the only priority in businesses. Now that the workforce has transformed, so have the standards for a productive and efficient workspace. Some companies are still reluctant to prioritize it as it does seem unnecessary and deviates from actual work, but the reality of it all is that efforts to increase employee engagement will affect performance in the long run. In fact, employee engagement is one of the main drivers of results.

What exactly is employee engagement?

Do take note that employee engagement is not the same as employee satisfaction: the former has to do with aligning with employees of the company’s main purpose and how they play a role in its growth. The latter, on the other hand, focuses more on whether your employees are content working at your company. The key difference between the two is employee satisfaction is not as difficult to increase as employee engagement. Engaged employees are more likely to “go the extra mile” to accomplish something because they believe in your company’s goals and understand what they are working towards.

Measuring Employee Engagement

Employment surveys are often done to measure the level of engagement in the company. Then, increasing engagement requires efforts and strategic planning among management— from the HR team to the CEOs, and managers of each department. Employee engagement activities also come in the form of activities, games, or events to really emphasize the goals of the company.

The Problem

It is common for traditional companies to allot a budget for employee engagement efforts as they do not see the direct benefit of taking time off employees’ working hours to participate in “extra” activities. This can cause disengagement in employees— they are not actively thinking of what the company’s goals are and can even cost company money from the lack of productivity. Not only that, it also kills morale around the office. Disengaged employees do not only affect their own work but others around them as well. So in reality, it is in any company’s best interest to make the effort to keep engagement among their employees high to ensure that they are working to the best of their abilities.

What Companies Need to Do to Increase Engagement

As a company, your people need to believe in your company and its values. Even before people are onboarded, recruiters need to be clear with candidates on your company’s main goals and beliefs. That way, you are able to filter ones whose values do not align with that of your business’s. After onboarding, it is then important to have an open line of communication to build a foundation of trust in your employees and management so that they are not afraid to give any feedback as well as receive any evaluations you may have as well. With this, they are also able to show their employees how they play a role in the company’s vision. So it is clear exactly why employee engagement is important—  the challenge for employers now is how to increase and maintain high engagement to avoid attrition. Though these efforts are done through activities that traditional employers may deem futile, these do affect the business in the long run. Employees now have an infinite number of resources and opportunities to work elsewhere. If they don’t feel they are not working towards a common goal with your company or they often forget how their productivity affects the overall output, then your business will be left behind by the fast-moving industry standards.