You Engage, They Engage

There is a lot of buzz circulating about employee engagement. But how do engaged employees positively affect a business? What are some actions we can take as leaders to help promote engagement among employees and teams?

Nielson conducted a survey that took a deep dive into employee engagement. They found that in the US, only 33% of employees are engaged at work. This is an abysmal number with plenty of room for improvement. With a little work and added focus, this number could certainly be improved.

So, what is in it for us? Studies show that if we take the necessary measures to increase the engagement of our employees, we will realize noticeable increases in:

• New, innovative ideas
• Enthusiasm
• Optimism
• Intrinsic drive
• High goal performance
• Employees who provide encouragement to other employees
• A growth mindset
• And an increased commitment to the organization

Nielson also found that there is a noticeable decrease in turnover amongst engaged employees. The results were stunning. Business units in the bottom versus the top quartile of employee engagement scores averaged 31 to 51 percent greater employee turnover. Bottom line, improving employee engagement is key to the retention of our employees.

Statistics are interesting, but what can actually be done to improve engagement? While covering every possible option here would make this a not-so-quick tip, I will provide one of the most important. For its 2020 workforce study, Qualtrics surveyed seventeen thousand global workers. They determined that employees who received regular support and feedback from their managers recorded a global engagement score of 79 percent. This compared to a 23 percent engagement score for those who did not. Committing to be available, supportive, and providing frequent and timely feedback to employees will assist in increasing employee engagement.

This information was taken directly from the new Employee Engagement and Motivation class that will be available in the first quarter of 2023. If you are interested in learning more, watch for the class announcement on the LLD website. Alternatively, more information will be available in our 2023 course catalog.

-Scot

Laraway, Russ. When They Win, You Win (p. 182). St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Pink, Daniel H.. Drive (p. 88). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.