Jennifer works for a major global software developer. She has a PhD, 15+ years of highly specialised experience and a successful and fulfilling career - until now. She is profoundly unhappy in her current workplace. "If my manager isn't at a conference or meeting, he's on a plane going to one," she says. "He's seldom available and when he is, discussions are rushed. He regularly cancels meetings at the last second, often neglecting to tell me. We're not empowered to make decisions without him, so we often end up working in circles rather than actually delivering anything. Gossip is rife and even encouraged, with the manager being the biggest culprit. Not surprisingly, our team is a toxic, fragmented and suspicious group of people.
"Standards are woefully low and there is no support or recognition for good work. The only way you know you've done a good job is when the manager takes credit for it. From one month to the next, I have no idea whether or not my boss is happy with my work."
Jennifer has attempted to improve the situation in numerous ways, but is told to 'suck it up'. "There's no sense that anything we do is of any value," she says. "I may as well not exist. And there are no discussions, ever, about career development."
Be honest - you were reading this, thinking, 'She's talking about me'.
Jennifer is not alone. Worldwide, a mere 13 percent of employees are engaged at work. Yes, 13 percent.
And Jennifer's boss is no rarity either. What he and his counterparts don't seem to realise is that the work environment they've created is not only fuelling the active disengagement of key team members, it's having a direct impact on their organisation's bottom line.
Gallup's 'State of the Global Workplace Report 2013' found that companies with an average of 9.3 happy employees for every actively disengaged employee experience 147 percent higher earnings compared to their competition. In contrast, companies with an average of 2.6 engaged employees for every actively disengaged employee experienced two percent lower earnings per share compared with their competitors.
So what are some of the key things companies can do to increase employee engagement and improve productivity?
The right managers
Far too many companies view their people as 'something' to be managed rather than individuals who play a role in creating success. says that the way employees feel about their jobs starts and ends with their direct supervisor: "Good managers engage their teams on various levels. First, they display genuine care and concern for their people. By building strong, trusting relationships with their staff, they can engender an open work atmosphere in which employees feel supported and engaged."
Blessing White's Employee Engagement Research Report Update for 2013 states that successful managers 'understand each individual's talents, interests and needs and then match those with the organisation's objectives, while at the same time creating personal, trusting relationships'.
The best HR people are adept at influencing, educating, and holding managers accountable. This is important, says Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, senior vice president of research at global talent management firm PageUp People, "because many executives rise through the ranks despite not being very good managers."
Vorhauser-Smith also believes that beyond salary, "psychological and social fulfilment can determine which employees are motivated to stay, perform, and contribute to organisational success. Companies that nail employee engagement understand that motivating high performance and aligning talent with business strategy requires getting to the heart of what matters to employees."
Feeling appreciated is a fundamental human need. Gallup reports that beyond boosting engagement scores, employees who received feedback had turnover rates 14.9 percent lower than those of their peers. When employees received strengths feedback - feedback that relies on employee affirmation and encouragement - they outperformed colleagues who did not receive it by 7.8 percent in productivity. In fact, people who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job.
David Sturt, researcher, consultant and author with the O.C. Tanner Institute, says it's critical that effort is noted. "Lots of things are happening every single day where people are making a difference. They need to hear about it because if they don't, they'll stop doing it.
"When you see it, celebrate it, talk about it," says Sturt. "It focuses people's attention and shows the way for everyone who wants to make a real difference. It connects what's important to you as an organisation with the person and helps you achieve specific results. Whatever your core initiatives are, think about connecting that to your appreciation and recognition strategy. You do that and you get alignment and clarity."
Communication
Communication is a two-way street. As important as it is to communicate business goals to employees, it's equally important that individuals within the company are given the opportunity to raise their ideas and suggestions. This practice engenders an inclusive culture that benefits employees, while also benefitting the business by having access to a wide range of ideas.
In the 'old days', there used to be a train of thought that most people wanted the same thing from their career - a straight and steady climb up the ladder. Current thinking, however, is not so much about 'getting ahead' as it is about getting to be the best we can be, and finding a place in an organisation where our strengths, skills and natural talents are utilised and expressed in such a way that they contribute to overall goals and vision of the company. Companies need to create a work environment that actively fosters growth and development through a policy-driven development programme. A career development programme in which employees can discuss their personal and professional ambitions is also a great way for companies to align their valuable staff with company goals.
Despite extensive research, numerous reports on the subject and 'employee engagement' becoming a popular catchphrase in the media, misconceptions remain. When the Saratoga Institute conducted a survey on why employees leave an organisation, it found that 89 percent of managers believe employees leave because they want more money. In reality, 88 percent of employees leave for reasons other than money.
First published in the June 2014 issue of ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.
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