Blog

Improving Employee Engagement

By Julie Rolles, Training Specialist, PSA Security Network

Most of us spend more of our waking hours with the people we work with than our families at home. How much do you value your employees or colleagues? How much do you know about the people who work for you or the people who work around you? Employees are the lifeblood of every business. You may think that every business has processes and plans in place to ensure employees are valued and engaged. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many businesses assume that if they build a good product or service, then employees should be happy.

Engaged and emotionally connected employees are the best employees because they are enthusiastic about their work. Employees who are dedicated to success, emotionally involved, and socially connected with a company reveal qualities that business managers strive to have.

Countless employers do just enough to ensure the bulk of employees do not leave; the training, benefits and positive reinforcement are just enough to keep most employees from leaving. Is this how you would treat your own family? I would hope not. Many of us put our families and their goodwill as a priority in our lives – why is this not the same for the people we spend most of our waking hours with?

According to Compdata Surveys’ national survey, BenchmarkPro (surveyed 28,000 organizations), in 2015 the average total turnover rate reported across industries by employees was 16.4%. Obviously, many factors affect a company or industry in their turnover rates. However, replacing employees is a high cost to businesses and the fact that so many continue to leave, businesses who effectively manage the employee engagement process can lower these statistics. Businesses who value their employees and engage them see increased productivity, happier employees who are willing to promote the business (free advertising) and in turn will increase the overall profits for the business.

As an employer, you need to understand what emotionally connects employees to your business (hint: it is usually more than salaries, training, or benefits). Emotionally connected employees are great employees because they are engaged and productive –they feel validated, appreciated, valued and respected.

Engaged and emotionally connected employees are the best employees because they are enthusiastic about their work. Employees who are dedicated to success, emotionally involved, and socially connected with a company reveal qualities that business managers strive to have. Engaged employees are more productive, take less sick days, promote the business to others, and express their happiness to others and therefore are more customer-focused. Additionally, engaged employees are less likely to leave and thus saving a business costs in hiring and developing new employees.

What makes an employee more emotionally connected to a business? Emotionally connected employees feel they are helpful, knowledgeable, accepted and valued. Employees want to feel they are making a positive contribution to your business, perceive their job as important and they are making a difference to the overall business – in turn taking pride in their work. You can help employees feel accepted by creating a supportive and encouraging work environment through teamwork.

Many times an employee leaves a job because of their manager, not the job itself. In order to feel respected, employees should feel as though the company sees them as an essential asset. Employees should feel their manager has realistic and achievable expectations about what they can accomplish. Additionally, managers must be fair, impartial, and open-minded.

Employees get frustrated and angered when they see other employees receiving different treatment or recognition above others. Managers have the opportunity to carry out policies while also eliminating obstacles and excuses for employee performance.

How much do you value your employees or colleagues? How much do you know about the people who work for you or the people who work around you? Ask questions and start working toward increasing employee engagement at all levels – create a family culture within your work environment!