Employee Engagement Part 2

Topic: Employee Engagement Part 2


What makes an
employee feel
engaged?
It is very difficult to
generalise, but factors that
are likely to make staff feel engaged are a sense of
“family”, of belonging to a team or company, of social
fulfilment.
This is often strengthened by policies that demonstrate
the company takes care of their employees, such as
good restaurant or canteen facilities, clean and
comfortable physical environment, sick time off,
medical costs covered, generous holiday time, concern
for family if they suffer ill health.
It isn’t just financial rewards, status or power that
makes employees fell engaged, but a sense of
motivation through shared Values and Vision, common
mission and goals, loyalty and trust.
Salary is an important factor for many people
especially in North America and Europe, and there is a
correlation between people’s satisfaction with their
salary and their engagement.
Companies that have high levels of employee
engagement motivate high flyers and offer them early
promotion opportunities.
Investing in Professional Development and planned
career development has a positive impact on employee
engagement, retention and performance.
Engaged employees say they have a sense of pride in
the mission and achievements of the company, a
commitment to the goals. A feeling that they can
contribute, and help to achieve well-articulated goals
and targets. They know that their efforts and success
will be recognised and acknowledged. The feel trust
and loyalty.
They say they get a warm and welcoming feel from
colleagues, a sense of teamwork, comradeship, feeling
part of something good. Even if the work is challenging
and tough, hours are long, they feel valued and
appreciated, listened-to and equipped to do their jobs.
Factors that can detrimentally affect engagement are
failure of management to engender the feelings of
team and family. Failure to form a relationship with
staff and demonstrate care, concern, recognition,
acknowledgement.
Staff will not feel engaged if the workload is
consistently too high, the process is flawed, and targets
are not achievable and no one seems to care; if there
is a lack of investment in staff development, training,
career development, or if it is difficult for high
performers to achieve promotion. If the Culture is
perhaps non inclusive; or the physical working
conditions are old fashioned, depressing and difficult.
Maybe a Manager is not effective and needs specific
training, or the work environment can be improved by
provision of new equipment.
Perhaps a change of job is needed, or the current job
is too pressurised and there needs to be some
administrative help.
Management must beware the downward spiral of
negative energy, frustration and anger at work, which
can rapidly make everyone feel disengaged and is hard
to turn around.
People will accept all of the above to some extent if
the management have the right attitude, recognise the
problems, acknowledge them, value and appreciate
everyone’s efforts.
In particular people will rise to the challenge of a
business crisis, even if it means long hours and difficult
work, if it is properly handled, If the manager creates
the comradeship of banding together to fight adversity.