Bond EMEA
How can I improve employee engagement?
The work experience of our employees speaks to who we are as a company. This affects the success of the organisation as our customers, and society as a whole, can perceive us through that experience, and in a market where products and services are so closely matched, the human element makes a difference and can be a determining factor in achieving business goals.
A crucial element in managing the Employee Experience is engagement, which refers to the level of intellectual and emotional connection an employee has to their job, their team and the organisation, which goes beyond fulfilling basic job responsibilities.
Employee engagement is directly related to the performance and dedication they put into their work, which affects the business outcomes, but improving it remains a major challenge for organisations.
Some of the main reasons why employee engagement does not improve in companies are:
- Ineffective leadership: According to a Gallup study, 70% of team engagement is attributable to their leader, and workers demand accessible and empathetic leaders with whom they can talk openly.
- Inflexible or negative organisational culture: Toxic organisational culture, characterised by a lack of transparency, fairness and peer support, affects employees' emotional connection to their work.
- Lack of recognition and autonomy: Lack of recognition for a job well done makes employees feel undervalued and, on the other hand, lack of autonomy in the performance of their roles harms innovation and creativity.
- Wages and benefits: Wages and benefits are decisive in retaining talent. Engaged employees demand a 10% higher salary increase than disengaged employees in order to be willing to change jobs, as shown in a Gallup study.
- Work-life balance: Workers need support to achieve a healthy work-life balance. A work environment that does not offer flexibility can contribute to employee fatigue and disengagement.
Therefore, to improve employee engagement it is necessary to understand their needs in depth through active listening and to manage their experience in a holistic and strategic way to build a culture that favours productivity, attraction and retention of talent.
To this end, organisations must also put effort and resources into enhancing their Employer Branding, a concept that refers to the reputation and value proposition that a company projects to its own employees and potential candidates. The objective is to build a positioning that promotes the attraction and retention of the best professional profiles.
It is a concept that is particularly important today as the new generations are no longer willing to work for just any organisation: They are looking for companies that align with their purpose, values and vision, and in such a fast-moving and changing digital environment it is possible to lose ideal candidates by not having the right exposure.
Among the main benefits of Employer Branding we can highlight the increase of candidates interested in a job, the improvement in employee loyalty, lower turnover and absenteeism, and, definitely, a higher level of employee engagement.
In short, building a good corporate reputation by working on Employer Branding and applying a strategic and comprehensive approach to Employee Experience Management will help to boost the level of employee engagement. This, in turn, will translate into greater dedication, loyalty and identification with the company and the delivery of a better service that customers and society will be able to perceive. .If you would like to discover more opportunities to listen to your employees and improve their experience and engagement, you can contact us at information@bondbl.com