Employee engagement begins with how and who you hire

Hiring practices are foundational to employee engagement. Employees that are so committed to their work that they will go above and beyond expectations, characterize engagement. Alternatively, disengaged employees are less productive, undermine morale, and often impede an organization's reputation and financial health. Disengaged workers also drive your best employees and candidates away by painting an unflattering and uncooperative picture of your organization. Employing the best recruiting practices attracts and retains motivated workers who, in turn, reinforce an engaged culture that attracts others like them.

The first step is writing a comprehensive and clear job description outlining required qualifications and experience for the role. This sets expectations and attracts qualified applicants who will more likely fit the culture and the position well. That said, be open to interviewing applicants that are not perfect fits, but may bring the right attitude that fits the culture, an aptitude allowing them to grow into the position, and other skills the organization may need.

During interviewing, it's critical to evaluate a candidate's attitude and cultural fit in addition to their skills and experience. Behavioral and situational interviews, reference checks, and other evaluation tools are helpful. Negative questions like asking about weaknesses, failures, or times when things did not go according to plan can yield unrehearsed answers that may illuminate more about their character, motivations, stress-reactions, and fit.

"Leveraging the best recruiting practices attracts and retains motivated workers who, in turn, attract others like them."

Once someone accepts the offer, organizations can amplify the inevitable initial positive feelings and drive engagement through an onboarding process that anticipates needs and demonstrates care. In addition to training and resources, onboarding should also introduce new hires to their team and the company's culture.

Frequent feedback and communication are crucial for sustaining employee engagement throughout their journey. Regular management check-ins and opportunities for employees to offer feedback and suggestions show that employees' opinions matter, giving them another reason to engage more deeply. Additionally, listening to new hires benefits an organization, as all new employees eventually lose objectivity as they become further indoctrinated in the processes and beliefs of their new organization. Some of the best ideas for new ways of working come from new employees with a fresh perspective.

Ultimately, effective hiring processes should be a company's first focus for attracting and keeping engaged teams dedicated to the organization's success. After all, no amount of training and encouragement can overcome employees who were never a fit for the culture and/or role to begin with. Clear job descriptions, evaluating fit and attitude, supporting employees through onboarding, and continuing communication are fantastic ways to develop an engaged workforce.