What You Need To Know About Employee Engagement

According to the 2020 Gallup survey on U.S. employees:

• 36% were engaged; 50% disengaged; and, 14% were actively disengaged,
• Actively engaged rating went up by 10% (compared to 2000),
• Actively disengaged was down by 4% (compared to 2000).

Now, I only have two questions for you:

What day of the week do you hate? And what day do you love the most?

If you said, "I hate Mondays, but can't wait for Fridays!"

Something isn't right

I've personally come across a lot (I mean LOT) of people who live for the weekend.

In fact, I was one of those who dreaded Mondays.

As thankful as I was for having a job that paid my bills, work only meant one thing:

A source of income; nothing more..

But when I looked around, I realized that there were others like me.

Lacking motivation, and a personal ownership to bring success for the company.

And here's the thing - if you're not fully invested, then you're not fully engaged.

That's when I first stumbled upon the term Employee Engagement.

What is Employee Engagement?

Investopedia defines Employee Engagement as a concept that "describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication a worker feels toward their job."

In other words, employees who are fully engaged tend to care more, and take pride in their work. They feel passionate about the company's performance, and put extra effort to contribute in the company's future success.

Why is Employee Engagement Important?

Looking at the chart above, there is no doubt that employee engagement is better now, than we were over the last two decades.

But still, if we look at the 2020 ratings alone:

About one-third of employees are actively engaged, i.e., they probably love what they do.

And the rest?

~50% are not engaged, i.e., simply going with the flow.

And, 14% of U.S. employees know that they are in the wrong place.

Now, let's shed light to what Jack Welch had to say about this issue:

There are only 3 measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. No company can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it -- Jack Welch, ex-CEO of General Electric

If Jack was right, then the 36% engaged rate is still somewhat concerning.

What Impact Does Poor Engagement Have On Companies?

• Sub-par employee performances can translate into poor overall company performance,
• Disengaged employees can have a negative impact on the customer's satisfaction,
• Employees not living up to their full potential meaning that the company doesn't reach it's growth potential,
• Talented employees eventually leave, therefore the company loses it's greatest assets. Check out my short video on "Why Employees Leave"

What Many Companies Get Wrong About Employee Engagement

If you have hundreds of employees at your company, then there are many teams.

Every team is doing their own thing..

You may receive company surveys every quarter, asking you to rate your experience about working at the company.

And once you hit the 'Submit' button, it is very likely that your survey went straight inside a massive blackhole.

Who sent the survey? No one knows.

The best guess, Human Resources.

But the problem is that employee engagement isn't just 'an HR thing'.

Every leader should be accountable for their employee's engagement, especially decision-makers.

Unfortunately, decision-makers are evaluated on financials, operational, and other metrices.

But rarely on employee engagement.

Why?

Because most companies are yet to recognize employee engagement as a serious, and actionable metric that 'moves the needle' for the company.

What Employees Get Wrong

I've taken part in multiple initiatives that started off with the intent of changing culture.

But here's something you should know about culture - it's difficult to change.

A company's culture is a product of the belief systems of all it's employees.

Every employee has a different mindset, and belief.

And mindset determines how employees behave in the workplace.

Now imagine a thousand employees, with a thousand variation of belief systems.

Sounds complicated, right?

That makes it a difficult task to pinpoint, and address cultural issues.

Even when some companies take the initiative to do something about their culture (including employee engagement), employees may often push back and resist change.

Therefore, employees who fail to keep an open-mind lose out.

Especially when good initiatives with great intentions fail, because of a lack of employee cooperation.

Here Are My 4 Takeaways to Improve Employee Engagement:

Takeaway # 1. Turn Managers into Coaches

An employee cannot directly speak with 'the company'.

For them, maybe the company means their manager or the manager's boss, or the leadership team who runs the company.

The good thing is that managers are there to help, at least in theory.

Performance evaluations, company updates, housekeeping items, you name it - the supervisor is there.

But in reality, I've noticed these days that managers can get so occupied with their 'day job' that they don't get enough time to focus on their real job - coaching people.

If you are a manager, have a candid conversation with your employees on how you can better serve them.

Because if they see you caring for them, the impression they get is "the company cares about me".

So, find time for your employees and mentor them to success.

Check out my article on "Good vs. Great Mentors"

Takeaway # 2. Celebrate the Small Wins

Employees don't always need a pay increase to feel appreciated. Oftentimes, small recognitions given occasionally can help boost their morale over time.

Celebrating even the smallest wins will go a long way to improve job satisfaction.

Takeaway # 3. Don't Wait for Culture to Change, Own It Yourself

The next time you hear about a new program or project - give it a chance. Having been on the other side to help companies implement positive cultural changes, I can't stress how much power employees actually have.

On the contrary, employees with 'It's not MY problem' mentality are somewhat responsible for the poor engagement at work.

Remember, companies are made up of people. If people don't own the culture, culture will turn sour.

Don't wait for leaders to fix every issue, take ownership and be active about doing the right thing.

Takeaway # 4. Make Someone Else's Day. Good Karma Comes Back

Just like celebrating small wins, and taking ownership - making someone else's day has a very tangible, and rewarding feeling.

When you do something good for someone, they will subconsciously feel a sense of belonging in that environment. Chances are, they will reciprocate when the time comes.

So the next time you see your teammate, do something nice without asking for anything in return. Trust me, you will love the feeling and they will love working with you.

One Final Thought

A company is nothing but a name on a few pieces of legal documents.

But the people who make up the company have feelings.

The more we treat people like humans, the company starts to come to life.

Who can fix poor engagement?

Lets just say everyone has a critical role to contribute.

For me, Employee Engagement is about an environment where employees share memories, and invest time towards a pursuit of happiness (at work)..

We spend a big chunk of our lives at work, a life that is already too short. If we are not fulfilled with what we do now, we may end up with one more regret on our deathbed. Enjoy your work, enjoy life.

Here's a Question for YOU: What does Employee Engagement mean to you?

I look forward to your thoughts below - @WahidChowdhury.

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P.S. - Check out more of my articles in My Library of Contents

Shout out for the article suggestion: Todd Harris, Jesika Deras, Rutuja Ajgaonkar, Rahul Sunkavalli, Billey Tellez, Elizabeth Dalton Morris, Samer Daradkah, Susana Mendez, Kamen Doxev, Sally Patterson, Ian Cohen, Gina Albergo, Alexandra Aguiar, Inzamam Haque, Ayoma Nissanka, Benjamin Moy, Tanvi Dholakia