What employee engagement has to do with business success

Employee engagement is the dedication and commitment an employee has to their tasks and organisation. It describes more than just being satisfied. It’s when someone has the sort of relationship with their work where they go the extra mile to perform well – and see their managers and colleagues doing the same. It’s about building workplaces whose employees are motivated to help the organisation succeed, are committed to their organisation’s goals and values, and feel that their well-being is being taken into consideration.

 

Research conducted by Effectory of more than 17,500 employees in 57 countries around the world shows that high employee engagement corresponds with increased eNPS scores for the organisations those employees work for. Engagement rates also affect employee commitment, retention and performance. These are all important metrics for businesses seeking sustainable growth. After all, a company’s human capital needs to be performing at a high level and as efficiently as possible.

 

The effects of engagement on a business

 

An unstable and unengaged workforce drains resources and energy. This ultimately results in a negative impact on an organisation’s bottom line. For example, think of all the costs associated with high staff turnover, which occurs when the employee experience is very poor. From constant employee branding, job advertisements and onboarding to the qualitative losses when expertise and experienced people exit, high turnover is a damaging phenomenon for any organisation. But how to cultivate engagement among a workforce so that this doesn’t happen?

 

Typically, the human resources team leads the way when it comes to engagement. They’re not just tracking it; HR is often responsible for implementing projects that boost it. It will refine the onboarding process, make sure that interpersonal relationships within teams are positive and introduce policies around bonuses and additional benefits that make employees feel cared for. But how exactly can HR know what it is that is keeping people engaged?

 

Boosting engagement with an employee listening strategy

 

While employee engagement is consistently ranked as one of the top priorities for HR and business leaders around the globe, many organisations still find they are not tuned into the thoughts and feelings of their people. The way to deal with this is by developing a feedback culture and implementing a continuous listening programme that keeps HR and the C-suite in constant dialogue with frontline workers and office staff.

 

In our work with businesses who are seeking to embrace the full power of employee feedback, we often hear the refrain that ‘employees want to be heard’. It’s not just about sending out a survey once a year. These days, it’s essential to demonstrate to a workforce that their thoughts and feelings are being continuously taken into account and are helping to both drive and shape the organisation and its goals.

 

A listening strategy isn’t just about engaging employees (although that is very important). It’s also a way to facilitate business growth. Feedback can provide essential insights that others may miss, which can then be transformed into action plans that heighten HR’s effectiveness in dealing with some of today’s major business challenges, such as the great resignation. A listening strategy is a circular approach that builds a sustainable and successful business. And rather than just stating what the company culture is, a listening strategy helps organisations bring their values to life and encourage people to take ownership of them.

 

Tracking performance, up- and reskilling workers, and the degree of an organisation’s inclusivity are just some of the themes by which a business can measure its success and make a plan for improvements. Often, it’s those in the workforce who know best what further training they need, or how a management approach is experienced by people of different backgrounds. Simply put: if you don’t ask, you’ll never know – and continue making decisions based on biases and assumptions.

 

It’s time to empower employees

 

It’s time for leaders to be encouraged to live the values of listening and curiosity and embed this in business operations so that this becomes part of the company culture. They can be empowered on this journey with a smart and intuitive employee listening platform such as Effectory’s. We provide the solutions with which management and HR can get insights into the most important themes of the day but also easily perform short, regular pulse surveys that keep the feedback loop in constant motion. This is crucial in an era of constant connectivity and rapid development.

 

Employees who feel heard and are engaged are much more likely to be ambassadors for a company. They’ll celebrate your culture to the outside world, which can mark you out as a world-class workplace. This won’t just help you retain talent but also attract the best candidates for future job openings.

 

Organisations around the world are reporting that engagement and the employee experience will only increase in importance in the future. Business leaders are recognising the importance of the HR strategy to business success. One thing is clear: employee feedback is your secret weapon to engage your people and achieve your business and sustainability goals in 2022 and beyond.

 

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Find out more about employee listening strategies in Effectory’s recent report.