Employee Engagement & Retention: 6 of the Most Practical Psychological Methods for Success

Human resource professionals design and create HR systems and interventions that improve job attitudes and build a positive organizational culture. Hower the targets for a positive organizational culture are forever evolving as human cultures evolve. That is why it is essential for industrial and organizational (io) psychologists and human resource professionals to work together toward practical solutions that foster a positive work experience.

Employee engagement & retention

Employee engagement & retention refers to activities aimed at retaining high-performing talent, solidifying and improving the relationship between employees and the organization, creating a thriving and energized workforce, and developing effective strategies to address appropriate performance expectations from employees at all levels. Employee engagement has become a prevalent topic within both the subject matter of io psychology and human resource management (HRM).

Literature often fuses the topic of employee engagement with worker motivation. Indeed, one may be motivated to be more actively engaged at the workplace, so a brief conversation must be had to first understand the complete nature of the human mind, body, and spirit so practical interventions can be implemented to help foster a healthier and more productive work environment that promotes employee engagement.

Human Motivation

The discussion of human motivation in a workplace setting helps with a better understanding of employee engagement. If HRM professionals understand the principles, values, subject matter, and research methods of humanistic psychology, they will be able to implement a framework that not only remedies work issues but inspire a more positive and healthier workforce that allows employees to engage in work tasks at higher levels. Generally speaking, we can divide human nature into three major components: the mind (our intellect), the body (our biological makeup), and the spirit (our emotional makeup). Various philosophies and schools of psychology have tended to emphasize one of these aspects more than the others.

However, a humanistic psychology approach recognizes that people’s behaviors are not just a reflection of stimuli and impulses. People are rather motivated by their subjective reality. So, when placed into the context of human resource management, it is not enough to have systems in place consisting of merely rewards and punishment. There must be much more provided to facilitate the motivation for employees to engage meaningfully in tasks at the workplace. Sure, organizational leaders can bundle factors of an organization’s culture and ideology within a mission statement, vision, and possibly a set of values and then post the summary on the company web page and hope that people will adhere to them - but what else can we do to facilitate employee engagement??

Worker Motivation vs. Employee Engagement

Researchers in the field of I/O suggest that the term employee engagement measures the level of expendable commitment an employee has towards the organization and is loosely defined. The term employee engagement has gained popularity recently due to its linkage with organization success. From a social science perspective, the research focus on employee engagement is relatively new and is continuously emerging. In nearly all literature on the topic of employee engagement, authors note the vague definition for the term and often compare its similarities to worker motivation and job engagement or simply find it easier to describe what employee engagement looks like and does not look like.?

There is consensus, however, on what employee engagement entails. In very general terms, engaged workers put their own selves into what they do by getting fully involved. Literature suggests that engaged employees exert their physical mind, mental capacity, and spirit to train and do more for the organization or the tasks assigned. Engaged workers are willing to train and invest in their cognitive abilities to exercise creative power to solve team or organizational problems. Engaged employees allow themselves to internalize the goals of the organization and will feel secure in allowing themselves to become emotionally involved in the organization’s mission, values, vision, and goals. They will find true meaning in their role and find personal alignment with the organization’s goals and their own growth – often viewing the organization as a vehicle that enables their personal growth.

Motivation Theories Applied at Work

Past studies in U.S. work organizations have supported a model derived from theories such as Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Goal-Setting Theory that assumes compensation motivates employees. When investigating compensation and work motivation, researchers concluded the paradigm of motivation through incentives contributed to the development of compensation mechanisms based on the control of individual performances. It could be argued that for all this time, organizational stakeholders, employers, and employees, have historically benefited from the structure of control. Thus, there is nothing to fix here. However, employee engagement and retention are still prevailing matters that employers try to remedy.

Recent studies question the causality of the motivation inspired by controlling methods and bring awareness that while compensation serves as a motivator that yields stakeholder expectations, certain assumptions must first be true for the individual to feel motivated enough to yield the desired results. Noted in Vrooms Expectancy Theory, these assumptions are (1.)The attractiveness or valence of a goal multiplied by the expectancy that the activity will result in the attainment of that goal and (2.) Outcomes acquire valence to the degree to which they are believed to be instrumental to the achievement of one’s goals. In other words, it's not compensation that is the driving factor for motivation, but rather what the compensation affords the employer that increases motivation. However, employers who may be competing with your talent pool might find that offering things beyond compensation (e.g., healthcare, telecommuting options, unlimited leave, and education incentives) may increase the valence of the outcomes employees really value.

Psychological Methods?for Success

There has been a Copernican turn in approaches to motivation and management. The focus in human resource development (HRD) and management circles today is no longer on how companies can motivate or incentivize employees from the outside but instead on how they can effectively foster and support the high-quality motivation that comes from within employees. Here are a few tips to help address employee engagement and retention.

Take Care of First Things First:

Job satisfaction is one of the most important drivers of employee engagement. It would be wise for employers to address the individual needs of people with an understanding of an individual’s uniqueness and perceptions. Ideally, the basic psychological needs are addressed by Herzberg’s Hygiene Factors theory. Herzberg's Hygiene Factors theory is a model of employee motivation. The theory suggests that certain factors can lead to dissatisfaction at work and that by addressing these factors, businesses can improve employee engagement. The theory is based on the idea that there are two types of factors that influence satisfaction at work: motivating factors and hygiene factors. Motivating factors are those that lead to satisfaction, such as a sense of achievement or recognition. Hygiene factors, on the other hand, are those that lead to dissatisfaction, such as a poor working environment or a lack of job security. By addressing the hygiene factors, businesses can create a better working environment and improve employee engagement. However, it is important to note that simply addressing the hygiene factors will not lead to long-term employee motivation; businesses also need to address the motivating factors in order to create a truly engaged workforce. Herzberg's Hygiene Factors theory is a valuable tool for businesses looking to improve employee engagement and motivation.

Structure Growth and Advancement Opportunities:

When it comes to employee engagement, businesses need to provide opportunities for growth and advancement. There is no way around this. When employees are engaged, they are more likely to be productive, creative, and committed to their work. Engagement also leads to lower turnover rates and increased employee satisfaction. There are many ways to engage employees, but some of the most effective include providing opportunities for growth and advancement. When employees feel like they are able to move up within an organization, they are more likely to be engaged in their work. Additionally, regularly communicating with employees and soliciting their feedback can also help to keep them engaged. By taking steps to engage employees, organizations can create a more positive and productive workplace.

Employees who feel stagnant in their positions are less likely to be engaged with their work and more likely to look for new opportunities elsewhere. In today's competitive job market, workers are increasingly looking for employers who can offer them a chance to grow and develop their skills. By providing these opportunities, businesses can create a workforce that is both engaged and high-performing.

Develop Competence:

For employees to be engaged in their work, they need to feel optimally challenged. This is a bit different than growth and advancement. because it focuses on the preparation for the outcome of growth and advancement. In other words, employees need to feel like they're constantly learning and growing in their roles. When employees feel like they're competent and capable, they're more likely to stick around because they anticipate a valuable outcome beyond compensation. Employers who provide opportunities for employees to feel optimally challenged are more likely to see higher levels of engagement and retention.

Managers should increase the difficulty and responsibility of work tasks and assign individuals specialized tasks for them to become subject matter experts within the organization. Also, rather than funneling information through hard reporting structures, it helps to provide subordinates an opportunity to have facetime with senior-level staff. Also, consider that most all people seek growth, but some may seek advancement opportunities (e.g., promotions through the ranks), while others may seek growth opportunities strictly (e.g., increased competence in their current role). People should feel like they are the masters of their own destinies and need a fair playing field that provides an avenue to seize those opportunities. This leveling is interpreted in both structure, addressed up to this point, and relationships, coming up in the next section.

Enable Relatedness and Belonging

There is a difference between being invited to the party and being invited to the party and then asked to dance. It's no secret that employees who feel a sense of connection to their work are more likely to be engaged and productive. Likewise, employees who feel like their voices are being heard and that their feedback is valued are more likely to stick around. So what can employers do to promote employee engagement and retention?

One key strategy is to foster a culture of relatedness within the organization. This means creating opportunities for employees to interact with one another on a personal level, whether it's through team-building exercises, social events, or simply encouraging informal conversation. When employees feel like they're part of a community, they're more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work. Also, feedback plays an important role in employee engagement and retention. Employees who feel like their input is valued are more likely to be committed to their work and less likely to look for other opportunities. Regular performance reviews are one way to provide feedback, but employers should also encourage employees to give and receive feedback on an ongoing basis. By creating a culture of relatedness and feedback, employers can create an environment that promotes employee engagement and retention.

Create Autonomous Working Conditions:

Giving employees autonomy can have a big impact on engagement and retention. When employees feel like they have a say in how their work is done, they're more likely to be invested in their jobs and stay with the company for the long haul. Autonomy also fosters a sense of trust between employees and management. When employees feel trusted, they're more likely to put forth their best effort and be loyal to the company. Of course, autonomy isn't a cure-all for engagement or retention problems. But it can certainly help create a more positive work environment and build trust between employees and management. If you're looking for ways to improve engagement and retention at your company, autonomy is definitely worth considering. HR strategies should seek to increase individual responsibility by strategically removing controls.

Match Company Goals to Personal Goals:

Employee engagement and retention are two of the most important issues facing businesses today. According to a recent study, nearly 70% of employees are not engaged with their work. This lack of engagement can lead to a host of problems, including increased absenteeism, lower productivity, and higher turnover rates. One way to combat these issues is to encourage employees to internalize their motivation. In other words, rather than being motivated by external factors such as bonuses or recognition, employees should be driven by a desire to do their best work.

Autonomous motivation is the type of motivation that comes from within oneself. It is often internalized, meaning that it is self-driven and not externally motivated. Employees who are autonomously motivated are often more engaged and more likely to stay with a company long-term. This is because they have a stronger intrinsic motivation to do their best work and are less likely to be swayed by external factors. So how can you foster autonomous motivation in your employees? The first step is to create an environment that supports it. This means giving employees the freedom to pursue their own goals and cultivate their own skills. It also means providing opportunities for autonomy, such as allowing employees to work on projects that interest them or giving them a say in how their work is done. By creating an environment that supports autonomous motivation, you can encourage your employees to be more engaged, creative, and productive—and more likely to stick around.

Autonomous motivation can be difficult to create, but it is often worth the effort as it leads to more engaged and loyal employees. Businesses that foster an environment of autonomous motivation are more likely to retain their best employees and see an overall increase in productivity.

The Wrap-up

Simply put, don’t try to ring your employees like an old rag to squeeze out every drop of work motivation from them. Instead, try to figure out how to make them more absorbent to hold more readily available energy to use for the engagement of work. Time and credible literature has consistently shown that rather than finding ways to help employees use more of their expendable commitment toward work tasks, research should focus on how to increase the expendable energy that is to be used on work tasks.

Having spent years in the military developing Soldiers and future leaders and I can attest that these methods are very powerful, but they are also very taxing on managers and on the organization’s productivity in the beginning. Leaders must be patient and provide constructive feedback when implementing these strategies. Organizations should be patient and view these methods as a cost of quality. They are truly investments but well worth the return.

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