Employee engagement – A concept beyond perks and privileges

Employee engagement is a subject that has been trending for a while. In recent times, because of the toll the pandemic has taken on people’s mental health, it has become more relevant than ever.

And yet…when it comes to employee engagement, what gets talked about more often than not are the cool perks and privileges that organizations such as the tech giants offer their people. But is it just about offering employees daily buffet lunches, cool and colorful work spaces, gaming stations and Friday evening drinks?

A truly people-focused company knows otherwise.

Because it’s not about trying to bribe your employees with perks and privileges. It’s about understanding what truly drives them within.

It’s not about organizing seemingly fun, team-building activities like paintball days – things that actually cause more stress and less relaxation especially among the more introvert team members.

It’s about recognizing that what motivates one employee could be very different from another. That an extrovert may see a zoom sharing session as an engaging activity, while a more reticent employee may actually dread it. That when it comes to true “employee engagement,’ there is no one-size-fits-all formula.?

In fact, seeing your employees less as a mass unit and more as individual human beings with very different motivators is the first step towards creating real engagement.

Research shows that employees themselves are being less and less impressed by mere benefits and perks. More and more, they are being inspired by feelings and emotions, and genuine heartfelt passions.

What they need is to feel that the organization they work for sees them as more than just employees but as people. That it cares for them in a holistic way – for their professional as well as emotional and mental growth.

Granting our people more autonomy and control over their working hours; creating ways to give honest feedback; providing free, providing confidential access to mental health care; and offering genuine recognition and reward for deserving work are some key ways to increase and strengthen employee engagement.

Another significant method could be to help our employees feel a part of the bigger picture?in the way the company interacts with the larger world.?The fact is that people care about issues bigger than the next deadline; and when they see that their organization does, too, it serves to create a rich bond between them.?

Issues like sustainability, climate impact, poverty, and helping those less privileged than us, are all opportunities that can make for a rich and rewarding volunteering experience.

What’s more, they serve to provide our employees with a common purpose and a shared goal above and beyond the daily work objectives.

It is these that build true employee engagement, that help people feel that they truly belong within an organization.

It also makes these employees less likely to leave, because they see their work less as a transactional experience and more as one that’s part of their overall development. Being able to retain people, in turn, saves companies from the unnecessary costs of hiring and training new staff.?

The fact is that studies show that the more engaged employees feel, the more likely they are to put in their best efforts, to go above and beyond their job scope, to come up with truly creative solutions and smart innovations, and contribute to the organization’s overall productivity and performance.?

If this article resonates with you, I’d love to know what current employee engagement activities do you particularly appreciate in your organization??

Are there any new ones that you would like included that would speak to you as an individual, and make you feel genuinely engaged as a team member??

I look forward to your thoughts.?

Yves Cabanac?

Head of Sales, Customer & Partner Solutions

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