What exactly is employee engagement? How does it differ from
employee satisfaction?
Many use the two terms interchangeably as if they were one
and the same. Many researchers have studied this topic for several years;
however, most, if not all, of their studies were consistent in establishing
that there are differences between the two concepts and going as far as to
identify the differences between them. Simply put, employee satisfaction deals
with the concerns and needs of the employee that essentially keeps them happy
and content with respect to their job and/or elements of it (such as
compensation, flexible schedules, benefits, etc…). Employee engagement, on the other hand, primarily
deals with the level of involvement that employees put into an organization and
their duties. It can evoke
such feelings as passion to go the extra mile above and beyond what’s
normally expected of them from their job/responsibilities.
There is no doubt that both employee satisfaction and
employee engagement are essential components for an organization to be
successful; however, for the purpose of this article, our focus will be upon
employee engagement.
Studies conducted by scholars and practitioners touching on
employee engagement indicate that when employee engagement is high, there is higher retention, lower turnover, and higher
productivity. One such practitioner, Mike Rickheim, Vice President
of Talent Management at Newell Rubbermaid, explained employee engagement in
this way:
“[It] is not just a warm, fuzzy thing. It’s about giving
people the tools they need to succeed in their careers, which in turn drives
the outcomes that we’re seeking in the marketplace. When you look at it through
that lens, when people have the tools they need to succeed, feel good about
their personal growth opportunities, and receive the appropriate rewards and
recognition for their contributions, it’s a win-win proposition” (Harvard Business Review Analytic Services,
2013, p. 5).
But where do we begin? How can we help employees become more
engaged in their responsibilities? How can we measure or see the impact their
engagement is having on the organization?
Let’s explore these questions
together.
It Begins with an Organization’s
Leadership/Management
There’s a quote that I really like from Bill Quiseng, a
distinguished expert in the area of customer service and leadership. In a post
that he wrote on his blog at the beginning of 2014, he stated that:
“The
best managers are passionate about what they do. Frankly, if you are not
passionate about what you do, you have no right to manage others. That said, be
sure to express your passion to your people…Let your people know. Once they see
and share your “big picture”, then every step your people take will be in that
direction” (Quiseng, 2016, para. 8).
Let that sink in for a moment. Think about it. If you are
passionate about your work and your
commitment to your respective organization, then arguably your engagement
should naturally follow suit. Employees
need to see that. Let me repeat that last statement. Employees need to see that.
I am sure that we, at one point or another, have been in a
situation or circumstance where we have had a leader/manager who lacked any
passion for their work and their commitment to the organization which,
consequently, affected his/her engagement in his/her responsibilities. Reflect
upon it for a moment. How did you feel during those times when you saw
something like this?
You are the example in whom your employees look to for
support and guidance. Therefore, if you want your employees to be engaged in
their responsibilities and in the organization, then it begins with yourself,
as a leader/manager, first.
Consider the ENGAGE Principle
Now, at this point, a tiny seed has been planted within your
employees. Now what? Like any other seed that has life, if it is not cared for,
it will never grow. As a matter of fact, it will eventually die. There is only
so much that your example as a leader/manager can do. Your employees cannot
survive on “borrowed engagement” for very long. Leaders/managers must use
and/or develop appropriate tools to not merely sustain that engagement, but to
continually increase it.
Here is one tool I suggest you use within your organization
that may bring such results. I call it the ENGAGE factor. ENGAGE is an acronym
that (inert). It is not a survey or questionnaire. Though these types of data
collection methods (and others for that matter) are very useful and important
in identifying trends into whether employee engagement is suffering or not, it
pales in comparison to the personal interaction between employee and
leader/manager.
The results and outcomes for an organization hinge upon this
interaction. It’s where leadership/management in action takes place and,
subsequently, where the changing face of employee engagement occurs. ENGAGE is
centered upon this interaction, focusing on key areas to consider as you strive
to work toward a higher level of employee engagement within your respective
organization. It is meant to serve as a guide for you as you lead/manage your
employees and, ultimately, your respective company to success.
Let’s take a look:
E – Energize: What
inspires and motivates your employees to rise up each day to go to work? Are
they even excited to go to work? What makes them excited in the first place? I
know that one of the potential areas of opportunity that a leader/manager can
tap into is their employee’s passion. At some point or another, we have felt
what passion is. We can perhaps arguably say that we know how it allows us to
think creatively, imagine wonders, and dream big. Passion usually energizes
employees to be their best and to perform their best. To inspire employee
engagement, however, that passion must not only be focused upon their
responsibilities, but in their commitment to the organization as well. Without
both of these elements, then employee engagement becomes meaningless.
Understand what they love and care about. Do they love and
care about their responsibilities? How do they feel about working for the
organization? Listen carefully. Understand them. Jot notes down. You may just
need them as a reminder on what you can do as a leader/manager to inspire
employee engagement in the organization. This is but the beginning of
increasing employee engagement, but trust me: If you can unlock their passion
with a particular focus on the above elements, they will eventually become a
workforce to be reckoned with.
N – Nurture: As
you focus on energizing your employees, remember that you are your employee’s
first line of support in their success. Make time for your employees and do all
that you can to help them develop professionally and personally. Continually
help your employees develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities by providing
them the tools and resources they need to succeed. Ask them how you can help
them develop. Ask them what tools/resources they are lacking. Eliminate
obstacles where and when possible and provide them what they need to be successful.
Gather as much information as you can to adequately and continually nurture
their development.
G – Goals: As you
work to nurture your employee(s) development, consider setting goals with them
to chart their course to success. Work with them to identify goals to set and
subsequently reach. That’s right. Work with
them. Do not merely assign them goals. Help them align those goals with
organizational goals and strategy. Concentrate on personal goals that they
would like to reach too.
When helping your employee(s) set goals, consider applying
the S.M.A.R.T. strategy. Help them set goals that are specific and stretching.
Ensure that these goals are meaningful
to your employee and work together to develop a process to measure their progress. Together, develop relevant and realistic
goals that can completed in a timely
manner. Make sure that the goals and measurement(s) are attainable and acceptable
to you and your employee(s).
A – Action: What
is the purpose of a goal(s) unless we are willing to act upon them? Frankly,
it’s rather meaningless. Once the goals have been set, then is the time to take
action. Utilize your employee(s) strengths and assign them projects that are
tailored to those strengths and that will contribute to their goals. Provide
them with the autonomy they need to complete their projects in a way that is
meaningful for them. Continually monitor their progress.
G – Growth: Allow
your employee to learn from the experience. Have them walk you through how they
solved problems or made a process more efficient. Be honest and provide
feedback and suggestions. Allow them an opportunity to express their strengths
to you during the project and what they felt that they could have done better.
Provide your opinion on their strengths and areas where improvement can be
made. Work with them on strengthening opportunity areas. Don’t stop there
either. Actively look for more opportunities and provide them to your employees
so that they can continue their growth. Create the cycle for them for a
continuous stream of uninterrupted growth. As you’re proactive in helping your
employee(s) growth, they will continue to improve and become better with each
passing day.
E – Encourage: Above
all things, provide encouragement to your employees. I’m sure that we have all
heard the adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt
me”. Contrary to popular belief, that is not always the case. Generally
speaking, employees like to be encouraged for the good and hard work that they
do on a daily basis. This helps keep the fire burning within them. If you want
to continue to fuel employee engagement, it must be coupled with encouragement;
otherwise, their fire will burn out and you may end up losing them.
Recognize their hard work. Encourage them during challenging
or difficult times. Praise them for their accomplishments. Compliment them.
Keep that fire of encouragement burning and they will become more engaged and
give you their very best in their duties and in their commitment to the
organization.
Measure Results
Afterwards, measure the results. Develop a system that can
reliably assist you in measuring engagement initially before using the ENGAGE
acronym. Then, measure your employee engagement again after implementing
ENGAGE. Analyze and review the results. Look for the gaps. What helped or what
hindered employee engagement? Did it even change at all? What kind of an impact
will it have for the overall company? Do we need to make any further changes
and, if so, what further changes should be made?
Conclusion
I would like to share a personal story from my experiences
with the last company I had worked for. I was a data analyst and each month, I
would work with my managers to set goals and complete projects consistent with
those goals. I never had a data analyst position before I accepted this role
and I was at a loss on how I was going to contribute to the team and felt very
lost when I began my responsibilities.
Management was very supportive and encouraging. They knew
that I had an active interest in learning Excel and they assigned projects
where I would need to utilize the program often. It was a struggle and
challenge in the beginning. Overtime, however, as we continued to work together,
I continued to grow and improve upon my skills. During the course of this
process, I also learned more about myself, particularly that I not only had a
knack for data analysis, but that I also loved it too.
I eventually became very proficient in Excel and after
discovering what I loved doing, it made everything so much better. There was
nothing more exciting for me than to analyze data and interpret it. I also
loved creating tools to make our processes more efficient as well. My managers
knew that and adapted accordingly to me. I worked with them to tailor my goals
and actions to be consistent with what I loved to do. I had the opportunity to
work on my projects in a way that I wanted to do it. I used my imagination and
creativity to create and design reports that would provide meaningful data and
information while also using it to create tools to improve efficiency.
As I worked on these projects, management continually
followed up with me and provided feedback and suggestions for me to consider. I
would go over what I had completed, incorporated their ideas, and continued to
receive feedback until I had the perfect tool or report that they could use to
meet organizational needs. I loved it. They loved it. And they complimented me
often for the good work I had done on many of these projects. I felt that I was
on top of the world and I was more than willing to continue putting in my best
effort for them.
This is but one experience and every experience will be
different for each employee; however, the feelings of passion in their
responsibilities and commitment to their respective organization as I felt in
mine are common factors that can result when employees are engaged in the work
that they do and in their organization. The ENGAGE factor is a powerful strategy
that can bring such engagement into the workplace.
Interestingly enough, according to a Gallup Poll conducted a
couple of months ago, their findings indicated that roughly about 33% of the U.S. workforce
is engaged.
What do these numbers exactly mean for organizations? Though
employee engagement slightly increased from the prior year, it has not shown a
remarkable improvement despite the consistent research of the potential impacts
that employee engagement can bring to an organization, particularly on such
factors as retention, turnover, and productivity as mentioned previously in this article.
You, however, can change that. Are you ready to take your
employees and your organization to the next level of employee engagement?
By: Mark A. McDonald
Human Resources,
VertiSource HR
References
Harvard Business Review Analytic Services.
(2013, September). The impact of employee engagement on performance. In The Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/achievers/hbr_achievers_report_sep13.pdf
