Important Factors That Affect Your Employee Engagement

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Employee engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs and are committed to an organization. An engaged employee is connected to the organization’s mission and is more likely to go the extra mile during the course of work.

Employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organizations give companies crucial competitive advantages—including higher productivity and lower employee turnover – Robert J. Vance

Disengaged employees, in contrast, are likely to damage an organizations image. Not only are they unhappy at work, they display the discontent in the discharge of their duties by deliberately underperforming where they could have done better (and other passive-aggressive behaviours), this impacts negatively organisational productivity and drives away customers.

There is also a link between employee engagement and customer satisfaction, as the quality of service rendered by an employee will differ from that of the disengaged counterpart. What Are The Factors That Affect Employee Engagement?

  • Fair Compensation

Compensation matters and it impacts employee attitude towards work and their performance. A fair compensation package is not restricted to monetary form. It also includes medical care, work-life balance, flexible benefits, and small perks.
Employees need to know that they are being compensated fairly (compared to the market and peers). This is the cornerstone of a productive workforce. When employees are satisfied with their compensation, they will be motivated to work hard and strive for excellence.

  • Recognition

Employee recognition programs are fast transforming from a ‘nice-to-have practice’ to becoming a driver for improving employee engagement. An effective recognition program should acknowledge employee contributions and can be cash or noncash (e.g. commendation letters, gift vouchers, certificates, plaques, dinners, tickets, etc.)

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Image credit: www.makemyassignments.co.uk

A strong recognition program can be the difference-maker in an engaged workforce, when done effectively it increases productivity, motivation and builds strong morale. However, care should be taken not to overdo it, as this can quickly dilute the meaning and essence of the program

  • Nature of work

Providing employees with meaningful jobs functions that match with their skills, qualifications and experience will stimulate engagement and enthusiasm. Empowering them with the right tools to effectively discharge their duties will enhance their willingness to take ownership of challenges that lie beyond their assigned tasks. It is these challenges that inspire them to innovate and develop creative solutions to problems, thus giving them a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Couple this with an effective recognition/rewards program and you have employees who love their job.

  • Development/Growth opportunities

Image credit: www.changeagentcareers.com

The availability of career growth or development opportunities for employees is a key driver for engagement. Provide employees not only with formal learning programs but also give them the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills and knowledge. If employees don’t feel like they are going to progress or develop in their career with an organization, they will look elsewhere for those opportunities.

  • Leadership

The trust employees have in senior leadership in leading an organization to the right direction, and the relationship these employees with their immediate supervisors is key in driving engagement.

The actions and attitude of the immediate supervisor can create an environment where employees are engaged or disengaged. It is important that employees have the feeling that the leadership cares for their well-being and has genuine respect for their personal values.

A manager’s ability to build strong relationships with employees, build strong team interaction and lead in a “person-centered” way creates an engaging environment in which employees can perform at the highest possible level – Dale Carnegie & Associates

So where do you begin if you’re committed to improving engagement? Check out the infographic below on what to do about disengaged employees.
Source: National Business Research Institute

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I would love to hear from you! What methods is your organisation using to keep employees engaged? 

Kelechi Okeke
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