Employee engagement (or disengagement) has become one of the hottest issues in the workplace today. But with recent research highlighting the fact that employee disengagement is a global epidemic, organisations still clearly have much work to do to ensure that their workforce can be properly inspired and motivated.
So what can be done to instil this 'holy grail' into the fabric of organisations? Take a look at our new Employee Engagement Special Report for some answers.
I work for Winning Workplaces, a nonprofit that helps small and midsized business create great workplacces. I find this subject very interesting. Our Chairman, Ken Lehman, whose family co-owned auto parts manufacturer Fel-Pro, which was consistently rates one of the best places to work in America throughout the 1990s. His latest editorial for our e-newsletter speaks to this topic. For anyone who wants to take a look, it appears here:
http://www.winningworkplaces.org/newsletters/newsletter_5_06_full.php
(American Dream article.) His basic argument is that workplaces who make a conscious effort to care about what employees care about - their families, friends, and communities - will not only engage them, but increase their profitability because the employees will be absent less and better motivated.
Interesting stuff. Thanks for addressing this topic.
I appreciate the compilation of commentary in the Special Report. In order to really grasp How to Acheive Employee Engagement, you have to be prepared to go beneath the presenting problem and apply the wide angle lens to see the whole dynamic both throgh the eyes of the employee and by looking at the forces which impact the company itself. It will take insight and foresight from leaders to really address this in a way that enables all to gain.
I recently read a book by an Australian Author, Brett Minchington titled 'Your Employer Brand attract-engage-retain'. The book details the process to developing a strong Employer Brand using the Employer Brand Excellence Framework. Interestingly employee engagement is shown to be one of the most important metrics that firms are using to measure the strength of their employer brand.
I have read scores of pages emphasising the imporatance of Employee engagement. But I have yet to come across a page which specifies Emp Engagement in tangible terms ie. What should HR Executives do to have an engaged employee.An employee should feel engaged , part of organisation, he should recommend the organisation to peers.....is result of employee engagement programs. But what exactly are the activities, exercises ....Has any one written on these lines.....Is there text available? Please redirect me to it.....
Hi Shwetha, This is Arun working for ICICI as Employee Engagement Personnel.
To say, engaging employees towards the business goals with efficient operations and fun activities.
write to me for further details
Regards
Hi,
The hard part is to move beyond the theory and ask the question 'what can I do practically to inspire employee engagement?'
See www.engagingideas.co.uk for help here.
So, 'How can leaders engage employees' heads, hearts, and hands?', by starting to apply the following 10 C's of employee engagement:
Connect: Leaders must show that they value employees. Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel about their relationship with the boss. Career: Leaders should provide challenging and meaningful work with opportunities for career advancement. Most people want to do new things in their job. For example, do organizations provide job rotation for their top talent? Are people assigned stretch goals? Clarity: Leaders must communicate a clear vision. Success in life and organizations is, to a great extent, determined by how clear individuals are about their goals and what they really want to achieve. In sum, employees need to understand what the organization's goals are, why they are important, and how the goals can best be attained. Convey: Leaders clarify their expectations about employees and provide feedback on their functioning in the organization. Congratulate: Exceptional leaders give recognition, and they do so a lot; they coach and convey. Contribute: People want to know that their input matters and that they are contributing to the organization's success in a meaningful way. In sum, good leaders help people see and feel how they are contributing to the organization's success and future. Control: Employees value control over the flow and pace of their jobs and leaders can create opportunities for employees to exercise this control. A feeling of 'being in on things,' and of being given opportunities to participate in decision making often reduces stress; it also creates trust and a culture where people want to take ownership of problems and their solutions. Collaborate: Studies show that, when employees work in teams and have the trust and cooperation of their team members, they outperform individuals and teams which lack good relationships. Great leaders are team builders; they create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration. Credibility: Leaders should strive to maintain a company's reputation and demonstrate high ethical standards. Confidence: Good leaders help create confidence in a company by being exemplars of high ethical and performance standards.
The ten C's is quoted from an article by G Ambler - The Practice Of Leadership
employee egagement can be achived through commitment, if an employee very passionate about his work, do his job very attentively then it can be achived.