Employee Engagement

employee engagement with grokker

Although the supreme importance of employee engagement should be evident in today’s day and age, the simple fact that so many people feel disengaged from their jobs tells an entirely different story. In short, if businesses were paying the appropriate amount of attention to this phenomenon, far more employees would report far higher degrees of engagement.

The latest comprehensive and independent data on this subject certainly doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Surveying well over 30,500 full-time and part-time American workers who were employed between January and June of 2018, Gallup reported that more than half (53 percent) of employees in the United States fall into the “not engaged” category, indicating that they “may be generally satisfied but are not cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace” and that they “will usually show up to work and do the minimum required but will quickly leave their company for a slightly better offer.”

What is Employee Engagement?

Briefly defined, employee engagement is the extent to which individual employees and groups of employees feel passionate about their jobs and committed to the organizations that employ them. Employees who report high levels of engagement are far more likely to put exceptional and discretionary effort into their work.

Employee engagement must not be confused or conflated with employee satisfaction, which only indicates an employee’s level of happiness or contentment with their work situation. Unlike employee engagement, employee satisfaction fails to address important elements such as workplace motivation, involvement, and emotional commitment. Think about it. Some employees are extremely “satisfied” by collecting a paycheck while doing as little as possible.

Employee engagement, by contrast, is far more valuable to businesses. In the words of CEO of LEADx and Forbes contributor Kevin Kruse, engaged employees “don't work just for a paycheck, or just for the next promotion, but work on behalf of the organization's goals.”

Benefits of Employee Engagement

Greater Employee Safety – In a 2016 meta-analysis study, Gallup showed that businesses with database engagement scores in the top quarter of its employee engagement database had 70 percent fewer safety incidents in comparison to bottom-quarter businesses.

Boosted Productivity – Gallup also determined that engaged teams are 21 percent more productive than teams who feel disengaged. Furthermore, engaged workers are 44 percent more productive than workers who are merely satisfied.

Lower Absenteeism – It simply makes sense that engaged employees who care about team success will faithfully show up to work. Overall, highly engaged workplaces have rates of absenteeism that are 41 percent lower that their competitors.

Improved Retention Rates – Engaged employees are not only more likely to show up to work each day, but they remain committed to their job over the long term. This is particularly important in light of a 2017 Gallup study in which more than half of American workers said that they have made future plans to leave their current jobs.

Increased Revenue – Of course, the ultimate goal of every business is to improve its bottom line. A 2018 report by the multinational professional services firm Aon revealed that companies experienced a 3-percent increase in revenue for every 5-point increase in engagement level.

How to Keep Employees Engaged

Give them the right tools to communicate and collaborate
Promote open channels of productive, two-way, professional interaction
Build trust by encouraging transparency and leading by example

Creative Ways to Keep Employees Engaged

As highlighted in a 2020 article by Forbes senior contributor Heidi Lynne Kurter, there are nearly limitless unique and inspired ways to maintain high levels of employee engagement. Consider hosting fun virtual or in-person recreational gatherings and events. Since everybody loves getting something exciting in the mail, you might want to think about sending thoughtful and relevant employee care packages.

How to Keep Employees Engaged While Working Remotely

As remote work becomes more prominent, disengagement has increased. Use video chat, online game-playing, and regular on-point emails to stay connected and involved.

How to Increase Employee Engagement

A comprehensive employee engagement program can do wonders for your company. Develop a program to meet your specific needs by soliciting worker input, giving workers opportunities to learn/advance professionally, and (perhaps most importantly) keeping things fun!

How to Measure Employee Engagement

After you’ve implemented an employee engagement plan, it is important to chart its effectiveness, In addition to surveying workers about their specific levels of engagement, you can measure employee engagement through the following key performance indicators:

Diversity & Inclusion Statistics

Employee Absenteeism and Turnover Rates

Net Provider Score (eNPS)

Boost Employee Engagement Through Employee Wellbeing

If you’re looking for a way to get your employee engagement metrics up, you may want to look into engaging with a comprehensive employee wellbeing platform. Grokker is an on-demand wellbeing solution that is accessible from anywhere at any time using any computer or digital device.