Happy New Year! I hope you were able to enjoy the holidays and recharge for the year ahead. Today, we’re closing out our series on “Winning the Talent War” with the topic of engagement.
If employee engagement is something we all know is vital to organizational health, why is it that so many leaders and organizations get it wrong? While our intentions are solid, we need a committed plan. Gallup defines employee engagement as the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace (1). While it sounds like a simple concept, it takes time and intentionality to ensure your team is engaged in all aspects of their work. Below are several ideas to take your organization’s employee engagement to the next level.
Intentional Hiring
Although this may seem like common sense, leaders often fall into the trap of hiring the wrong candidate when there is urgency to fill a role. Hiring the wrong person is not only costly to the company, but it also sets the new employee up for failure. When an individual doesn’t have the right skills, experience, or attitude, there will inevitably be frustrations on both sides which leads to a lack of engagement on the employee’s part. To avoid these challenging situations, hire talent who are positioned for success. Unstoppable Cultures Belief: All Cultures start before hiring.
Clear Goals and Expectations
Once you have the right people in the right place on your team, the next step is to communicate the goals and expectations you have for them individually and organizationally. Knowing exactly what’s expected gives employees the clarity required for greater buy-in and higher levels of productivity. And as a team, having a common goal to work toward creates a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. Unstoppable Cultures Belief: It’s essential to give all employees every tool they need to succeed.
Mentoring and Coaching
It’s no secret that employee development plays an important role in an organization. One area of development that some leaders overlook (often because it simply falls to the bottom of their priority list) is the importance of mentoring and coaching those they lead. Investing in those you lead should not be viewed as optional. If you want your employees to have passion for what they do and for the organization they’re a part of, you have to show that you care about them, and not just their performance. I don’t know about you, but I am much happier and work harder when I’m at a company where I truly feel seen, invested in, and cared for. Unstoppable Cultures Belief: Bosses should be mentors not prison guards.
Overall, engaged employees produce better business outcomes than other employees — across industry, company size and nationality, and in good economic times and bad (2). Having a team of passionate, engaged employees is every leader’s dream and is also a key component to creating an unstoppable culture.
Together, we truly can build Unstoppable Cultures!
Sincerely,
Ginger
1. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx#ite-357458
2. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx#ite-357458