A New Way to Think About Employee Engagement

A New Way to Think About Employee Engagement
Is there a new way to think about employee engagement?  Yes!  Employee engagement is about far more than what a “goodwill committee chairman” can provide.

The Old Way to Think About Employee Engagement
Employee engagement used to be (and still is for many employee engagement firms) an annual process for identifying what employees disliked about their company and for trying to fix the causes of their dissatisfaction one-by-one.  This approach is also fostered by many survey companies whose business model is about selling and running profitable surveys, not doing the actual work required to improve employee engagement, retention, and performance based upon the survey results.

A Better Way to Think About Employee Engagement
To be effective about a new way to think about employee engagement, your employee engagement initiative must:

• Be strategic and systemic
• Focus on the critical few engagement actions you will take from the beginning
• Be an integral part of your overall business strategy

And, rather than a once-yearly, half-hearted approach to addressing issues after-the-fact, it is time to think of how to build the kind of organization that is meaningful, fulfilling, and exciting to be a part of for your top talent.

Engaged Employees Create Higher Levels of Performance
Engaged employees are a cornerstone of high performing organizations and become a key component of their competitive advantage. If employees love what they do and where they do it, they will treat customers and co-workers better, generate new ideas and continuously improve your business.  No matter how good your talent, if you can’t keep them productive and on the job, the entire organization is at risk.

How Do You Keep Your Top Talent “Feeling the Love” and Willing to Make the Extra Effort?

1. Know the Heart and Soul of Your Business
   Define the organization’s vision, mission, and  corporate values so that people understand where they are going and how they are expected to behave along the way.  Managers and leaders then need to help create an aligned organizational culture to help make both the business and people strategies a reality.  To create high performance, the way work gets done must be aligned with your strategic priorities.
2. Find the Right Talent
   With your desired culture defined, you need to find the right talent – employees with the capabilities you need and the attitudes that support and thrive in your culture. Bring them aboard quickly with a highly customized new hire onboarding program that allows them to contribute meaningfully as soon as possible.  You will know you are on the right path when your new employees and hiring managers are both satisfied.
3. Stay Vigilant
   Continuously measure, improve, and adjust the plan and work environment so that employees stay committed and become advocates of your company as a great place to work.  There are so many tweaks you can make. The key is identifying the top drivers of engagement on a consistent basis.

The Bottom Line
Smart talent leaders know what top talent needs and wants for them to thrive in their work environment. Be observant, keep in close touch, and ask often how things are going. When your high performers feel that you care and are responsive to their needs and wants, they will “feel the love,” be loyal, and stay committed.

To learn more about a new way to think about employee engagement, download The Top 10 Most Powerful Ways to Boost Employee Engagement.