Do not expect employee engagement without these four things

The expectation for employees to be actively engaged in their work 100% of the time is unrealistic, but without gauging productivity, how can companies maximise profit? How will they know if there is an opportunity to create more business? Call it wellness strategy or employee engagement, it all feeds into the same outcome; get these right and the team will buy in to the company vision and feel secure at work, resulting in increased profit. Employee input is the single most important factor for maximum output so businesses must implement these four aspects to ensure employees are given the resources to perform to their best ability:

1. Culture

To measure culture, the most efficient model I have come across is Richard Barratt’s model, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. On an individual level, in order to reach self-actualisation (living our purpose), we must move through the realms of safety and self-esteem and this reflects culture at an organizational level too.

(https://elearningindustry.com/characteristics-organizational-culture-becoming-full-spectrum-organization, accessed 2024)

Survival is addressed through conditions (see below) and relationships and self-esteem are covered by career progression and communication (see below), but transformation (high performance), community and making a difference all come down to culture.

This is about having shared values which employees buy in to. It is about continually striving to improve, seek feedback and have a learning culture. It is about working together for a greater good and celebrating the work we do towards that goal. Ultimately, the company reaches self-actualisation when it makes a difference to the community and humanity as a whole.

A company with a strong culture value and respect the role that EVERYONE plays, regardless of rank. It is a company which builds a community where employees want to do their best and are rewarded for their efforts. It is a company which pushes employees to try new things, take risks and learn continuously and it is a company who are all on the same page, striving to attain their vision and mission.

2. Communication

This incorporates email communication, face-to-face interactions, timeliness of communication, tone of communication and using meeting time effectively. Communication skills are essential company-wide as they directly infiltrate into company culture. If team members or leaders are rude, defensive, aggressive or critical instead of being open to feedback, reflective and kind, open communication becomes fractured, leading to misinterpretation of tone and messaging.

If time is wasted in meetings that are not required or could have been an email, employees may feel their time is not valued or they are not trusted to do their jobs. Similarly, if the tone of emails is threatening or the communication does not allow enough time to get tasks done, it creates stress and anxiety among workers and stirs resentment.

3. Career progression

This may not be on the top of every employee’s list but for some, the risk of reaching boredom burnout is real. Without feeling challenged in the current role and without a future path for progression (if this is desired), it makes employee engagement difficult.

There is a reason that performance management and employee appraisal systems should be carried out annually, and that is because what an employee wants at 25 is usually very different to what they want at 40 or 50. There are points in our career where employees may value position or pay more than they do their hobbies, family or wellness, and line managers should know where each member of their team is in terms of the career progression they seek.

Equally, if line managers do not listen to their teams and push career progression on employees who have no interest in climbing the ladder, this can put undue and unwanted pressure on employees who feel confident in the role they are in and do not wish to progress, for whatever reason.

4. Conditions

This takes into account salary, working hours, time off, annual leave, all other types of leave, the work environment, the workspace and anything else that is provided for employees. It also includes any perks of the jobs, gym memberships, wellness initiatives, discounts, allowances, and insurance.

Does your company tick these boxes?

For each employee, the most important pillar will be different, but companies can engage everyone by attempting to prioritise these four ideals.

Companies which excel in one, but ignore the rest, will ultimately fail in maximizing employee engagement. Paying a high salary is not enough to retain the best talent, and having a caring culture is not enough to motivate employees seeking career progression.

If employees are expected to engage in their work and produce an output of the highest quality, companies have a duty of care to support staff and create a balance of these pillars. Failure to invest time and money into employee wellness and engagement will result in decreased profits, higher attrition, a poor reputation, and lower productivity. Where does your workplace stand when it comes to employee engagement?