Employees who are passionate about their work and invested in the business’s success are vital to building a company that thrives.
In particular, a common theme among innovating and growing businesses is high employee engagement levels. (1) In addition, business leaders list employee engagement as one of the top three factors critical to success. (2)
In fact, high-achieving companies know the more engaged their employees are, the more effective the company can be.
What Does It Mean for an Employee to Be Engaged?
Employee engagement is different from job satisfaction. While job satisfaction is essential, it doesn’t guarantee that the employee is engaged with the company’s goals and culture.
For instance, an employee who shows up every day from 9 to 5 may be satisfied and content to work for their pay but not meaningfully engaged. Employee engagement is the employee’s commitment to the company’s goals and vision. (3)
An employee with high motivation brings their best efforts to work to help the business be successful. Indeed, they are more productive and go the extra mile to do good work, demonstrating their investment in company health.
Why Engagement Is Essential
A company can get by with reliable employees and do their job well. But, to truly thrive, highly engaged employees are a must.
These are the workers who do extra. They bring passion to the workplace and go above and beyond without being asked.
Engaged employees are not only more productive, but they are also happier and less likely to burn out or leave the company. In addition, less burnout and turnover mean a more stable work environment which lays the foundation for achievement.
Building an Engaged Workplace
Current estimates of employee engagements place it at around 24% of workers. (2) Needless to say, there is a lot of room for improvement. Disengaged employees cost companies money, time, and growth.
Of course, building engagement is a top-down process and takes time to develop. One key factor is having passionate and engaging leaders who put the right managers in place. (4) Hence, having the right person on the job lays the foundation for a culture of engagement at every level.
A workplace that engages its employees has clear goals that outline what success looks like and gives employees the tools they need to make it happen. Ongoing training, check-ins, and feedback lets employees know they have value and are essential, inspiring them to stay connected with the company’s mission.
Employees Want to Engage with Their Work
Of course, no one wants just to punch the clock or work for a paycheck anymore. Instead, people want to feel passionate and excitement about what they do and know their work matters to everyone around them.
Therefore, leaders that tap into this potential can unlock the key to an engaged and successful workplace.
References
- https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx Accessed 3/15/21
- https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/achievers/hbr_achievers_report_sep13.pdf Accessed 3/15/21
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/?sh=459a1b0f7f37 Accessed 3/15/21
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2017/10/15/5-powerful-steps-to-improve-employee-engagement/?sh=5bcc3691341d Accessed 3/15/21
