What's the best way to integrate Employee Engagement into your company?

Employee engagement is directly proportional to the vision board of the organisation what is the organisation aspiring to achieve are they looking at superficial level of connect or creating a sense of belonging in either of the case the strategy would be different and the way around will be different. Employee engagement contrary to what the general theory is beyond the academic financial mental alignment of the employee with the organisation .The ultimate objective of employee engagement should be to have happy and productive employee contributing to the growth alongside his aspirations being met with the organisation ,in short ,creating right ambassadors for the organisation

It’s been said before but it bears repeating… don’t start measuring anything unless you have full support from company leadership for looking at the results honestly and without blame, tackling them head on, and making real changes. Moving forward without that simply does more damage.

In the manufacturing industry, the easiest way to gain employee engagement is to tour the facility and speak to the team in their work environment. Ask questions like: "If I could fix your greatest safety concern today, what would it be?" or "Would you want your adult child to work here? Why or why not?" or "What could I change about your work environment that would make it more pleasant for you?" or "What can I do for you that would allow you to be your most successful here?" or "Tell me about your family." etc.. It's not some magic formula, it's not a chart on a wall, it's treating people as people.

Qualitative information is just as important, perhaps even more important that the quantitative data. If you really are seeking to understand the current situation, you have to dig deep into the employee experience to learn what’s working and not working along their journey.

I find the person first approach best as people engage in different ways and for different reasons. Everyone is different, has a unique DNA and fingerprint so one approach for all doesn't work. Understanding the person, then the role is key. Consideration from a diversity and inclusion perspective helps greatly.Give consideration to how a person takes on board learning and current obstacles to engagement. Leaders and managers should work in an inclusive way with various approaches and choice for a greater chance of engagement.

Be careful of not over-committing to too many areas for improvement. I remember the first time I developed an action plan off the back of an extensive employee engagement survey. I committed to too many things and failed to prioritize or follow-through, despite my positive intentions. It was a tough lesson, but one I carried with me in the future and helped me become much better at distilling actions into quick wins (easily actionable items) and a shorter lister of priorities to focus on over time.

Ever tried to touch up the paint on a wall and realized how bad the rest of the wall looked in comparison? Similarly, tough issues will need deeper assessment to see how they affect other related things before jumping into change. Embrace the easy low hanging fruit first. Also understand that starting a newsletter or a town hall format is valuable, but far more valuable when employee input is an integral part of them… otherwise it can be viewed as another mouthpiece for leadership speaking on high.

It is important to note that operational goals and results focused rewards may lead to higher revenue but not all top performers are highly engaged employees, they are great at the jobs. These two things can be exclusive. Make sure there is a defined vision of what employee engagement is and is not in your organization.

While at first sight it makes sense to focus on the most urgent and impactful issues first there is tremendous value to have in smaller and less newsletter worthy initiatives. Employee engagement is an individual's feeling. Addressing that small issue of seemingly little value in the big picture may mean the world to that individual, and create the feeling of being heard. Many small steps like that also results in big leaps forward - and are often more durable in nature.

Great HR builds bridges between management and employees. It helps each see the perspective of the other, how to communicate effectively, and how they can come together for greater purpose and better results.

As engagement is not a one size fits all solution, it’s important to continually check in with a team to see what is working for them and what is not and adjust when and where you can!

This starts by communicating the significance of employee engagement to both employees and managers. Open communication can be fostered through team meetings, suggestion boxes, or anonymous surveys. When employees feel supported in their development, they are more likely to be engaged and invested in the company's success. Managers should act as facilitators, promoting employee involvement and valuing their perspectives. Managers should show genuine care for their team members, provide guidance and support, and actively promote a positive work culture. When employees are Involved in reviewing the results It demonstrate that the organization Is committed to positive change

Employee engagement is a two-way street. Involve employees by seeking their input and empower them to take ownership. Train managers to engage their teams effectively, provide feedback, recognize achievements, and support development. Hold them accountable. Together, build something everyone can be proud of.

Key to engagement is to feel needed. If the managers can't create the environment for employees to feel needed engagement will suffer.

Tell. The. Stories. It’s important to use the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) concept here… If you can’t explain to employees why something matters, then in reality it won’t matter to them, and that is very destructive to overall organizational goals.

Employees appreciate when you can directly pinpoint what action has been taken as a result of their feedback so have the courage to show them how they have inspired action. After all, we all want to be heard and to contribute - and that’s what engagement is all about!

Be clear about where you have not made progress. That's key to building trust and credibility. In my experience, it's as important to communicate to people what feedback you've heard that you do not intend (or are unable) to act on. That level of transparency helps people understand that you are making intentional decisions and not just ignoring their thoughts, feedback or ideas.

Effective communication is the lifeblood of employee engagement. Share your engagement goals and actions, and explain their significance to employees and managers. Communicate progress, results, and celebrate successes. Leverage diverse channels like email, newsletters, intranet, social media, videos, events, or awards. Harness the power of stories, testimonials, and case studies to showcase the impact of your engagement efforts. Open the dialogue and foster a culture of engagement.

Employee engagement is a continuous journey, not a one-time endeavor. Regular evaluation and improvement are essential. Measure outcomes and compare them to your goals. Collect feedback from employees and managers on satisfaction and engagement levels. Use various methods based on needs and resources. Identify what works and what doesn't, making necessary adjustments. EMBRACE the iterative process and you will foster a culture of ongoing improvement.

“What gets measured gets managed.” If there’s continual measurement of employee engagement, and management performance is tied to its improvement, then that tells the organization that this is an area of importance. That message has power.

Evaluation should not be limited to numbers. Pictures are a thousand words and can very well be used to show engagement and how now things happen which didn't occur before the efforts to increase engagement.

Employees are agile and so should be engagement strategies. Evaluating should be regularly done, annually is too long these days! Talk often!