Employee Engagement in 2018 – How are we tackling it?

The stats are in – according to Gallup only 1 in 5 employees feel that their performance is managed in a motivating way, and 67% of employees worldwide feel that they are not engaged!

Is 2018 the year where we can turn around these figures and get Employee Engagement on the up?

What are we doing to solve this?

If we look at an extract from Starboard Thinking, we can look at some common questions asked surrounding engagement:

What do employees now expect from the organisation they work for?

In this day an age, employees expect more than just a 9-5 job and to get paid at the end of the month – they expect an experience, and a worthwhile one at that. Employees will expect to be provided with work which is rewarding and have their requirements listened to, otherwise they will find organisations which will provide that.

What is the future of employee engagement?

With employees yearning for their Basic, Psychological and Self-fulfilment needs to be met (essentially the needs illustrated by Maslow’s Theory), the future of employee engagement lies mainly with the direct line managers. Managers have to be able to provide constructive feedback, emotional intelligence, measure progress and oversee positive strategic change (to say the least!) in order to win over their employees trust and enable their productivity.

How can employers unlock potential?

Communication, communication and more communication! Consistency within this helps to keep morale high and motivate performance. It’ll allow employees to understand their role effectively, and thus become much more efficient in their role, as well as become more confident. It’s also worth noting that keeping communication flowing through all levels of hierarchy eliminates the feeling of feeling like ‘just an employee’.

What are the barriers to employee engagement?

What is important to know is that organisational leaders are accountable for employees not being engaged, not the employee! According to Starboard, some reasons for barriers to employee engagement include:

• Leaders not being aware of employee engagement/do not believe it’s an issue worth considering

• Leaders don’t have the tools to correct the issue of employee engagement.

• Organisations feel that employee engagement is an issue for the HR dept to deal with, so no action is taken on their end

What happens when employers do not focus on engagement?

Well the answer to this is in the statistics shown above, not to mention the increase in retention. According to HR Magazine, 44% of HR Director’s biggest hurdle this year is employee engagement – this has been feared more than staff retention (36%). The formula is quite simple; if your workforce aren’t happy then your retention rate increases and productivity decreases. A major focus on Employee Engagement strategy is therefore fundamental for growing organisations in order to get the best out of your workforce.

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Do you think we can see positive employee engagement in the future? Get in touch and let us know your thoughts!