Employee engagement is more than just a buzz term and is affecting business in all sectors, no matter their size. As a matter of fact, only 45% of UK workers stated that they were satisfied with their job, which is behind many countries in the G7.
While it can be difficult to grasp, employee disengagement can have far-reaching effects on any organisation, and severely affect your bottom line. This is why you cannot afford to take it lightly, so make sure that you take the proper steps to correct the situation. Let’s take a look at how employee disengagement is affecting your business, and how you can improve it.
What is Employee Engagement Exactly?
Many people might have heard of employee engagement in passing, but what is employee engagement exactly? It’s simply the level of emotional commitment an employee has for an organisation. By this definition alone, we can start seeing how important it can be. An employee that is not committed to his work and organisation becomes a liability, and things become much worse when a large portion of your entire workforce is disengaged.
Why is Employee Disengagement Dangerous for Your Organisation
Dangerous might seem like a strong word, but disengaged employees can literally become a danger to your organisation in more ways than one. They become less attentive and are more likely to overlook rules, which could end up causing safety issues. Disengaged employees are also more likely to consider committing malicious acts, or acts of negligence that could end up being disastrous for your organisation.
At the end of the day, however, employee engagement and productivity go hand in hand. According to one survey, companies with an engaged workforce were able to outperform those who had poor engagement by over 200%. This means that competitors who understand the importance of engagement in their organisation will start gaining an edge over you, poaching some of your top talents, and could eventually drive you out of the marketplace.
How Can You Improve Engagement
The good news when it comes to employee engagement is that there are tons of things that you can do to correct it, and some of these could be minor. For instance, simply having a wellness officer could make a world of difference. Gathering your employees’ feedback, monitoring it, making adjustments, and measuring results will also go a long way.
You also should never overlook the role of management in this. This is where getting constant feedback through surveys could help. You might notice a dip in engagement after changing your management structure, or after recruiting or promoting new managers. If you notice a downward trend and it’s widespread, then you might think about reevaluating structural changes. Or you might notice lower engagement after reorganising your floor, getting new equipment, or changing protocols. This could again be a chance to evaluate the changes and ask your team what could be done better.
Employee engagement is essential if you want to be able to retain your workforce, but more importantly, for their mental wellbeing. Make sure that you do everything in your power to improve it, and don’t be afraid to get everyone involved as much as possible.
