5 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement

According to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged in their jobs, the lowest level in more than a decade. Employees feel apathetic, disgruntled, disconnected, and unhappy in their roles, and employers are feeling the impacts. With issues ranging from high turnover rates to low morale and decreased innovation, it is clear that many employees are simply going through the motions rather than contributing in meaningful ways. For these reasons, employers need to find effective strategies to engage their employees in the work they do and help them feel connected to their organizations’ missions and initiatives.

 Employee engagement is not just a “nice to have”; it can produce real, measurable improvements to an organization’s bottom line. When employees are engaged, they are more productive, efficient, and energized to be active contributors in the workplace.  Gallup has found that “engaged employees produce better business outcomes than other employees do—across industries, company sizes, and nationalities, and in good economic times and bad,” and that “engaged employees make it a point to show up to work. Highly engaged businesses experience 78% less absenteeism and 14% higher productivity. Engaged workers also are more likely to stay with their employers and have 21% less turnover.”

Increased engagement also leads to lower attrition rates, which directly benefits the organization’s bottom line. When fewer employees leave, fewer resources are needed for recruitment—a process that can cost two to three times an employee’s annual salary. Even retaining 10% more of a team can result in significant savings, allowing those funds to be reallocated to innovation, salary increases, or programs that help the organization thrive.

The research is clear, but the pathway isn’t always easy. Our society is built on a rigid hierarchical structure, and many leaders worry that focusing on engagement might break the chain of command. However, engaging employees doesn’t eliminate hierarchy at all. Employees and leaders will always report to someone more senior, but finding creative ways to keep employees engaged can lead to higher-performing teams and greater innovation.

There are tangible ways leaders can boost employee engagement. Below are five specific approaches organizations can implement to strengthen engagement across the company. Read More...

Written by Kelli Oberndorf, CoFounder, Ekata and The VIBE Game™