Now, more than ever, is the time you should not fail to plan for employee engagement. Why?
The Covid-19 impact on the way we work and live continues to linger on. There is no end to job, health and life uncertainties. As one after another pandemic wave subsides and we look to move closer to what was normal, a new variant and spike hits us with greater force.
The combination of job insecurity and financial concerns have added to mental health challenges and stress for employees.
Recommended reading: How to employees manage work-life balance as they continue to work from home?
“A global pandemic can lead some people to think about their own mortality, which will understandably make them more stressed and less engaged at work.” – a research from Ohio State University.
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As per the latest Gallup report (a study across 112,312 business unites) on employee engagement in the United States, 36% employees are engaged (highly involved, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace).
“The percentage of workers who are “actively disengaged” — those who have miserable work experiences and spread their unhappiness to their colleagues — in this latest survey remains the same, at 13%.”
“The remaining 51% of workers are “not engaged” — they are psychologically unattached to their work and company. They’re also on the lookout for better employment opportunities and will quickly leave their company for a slightly better offer.”
The impact on profitability and productivity
Another Gallup report on employee engagement shows that companies with a highly engaged workforce have 21% higher profitability. They also have 17% higher productivity than companies with a disengaged workforce.
As we usher in the new year, we are witnessing rising cases of the new Covid-19 variant. Organizations are forced to revisit their plans of getting employees back to office. As remote work continues, how do we ensure we plan well to help employees manage stress and stay engaged?
Let’s not fail by not having a plan for employee engagement. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail.
The Employee Engagement Process
The 4 Levels of Employee Engagement
- Likability: Does the employee like her workplace, co-workers and her role?
- Competency: Does the employee feel competent, or better yet, confident in her role?
- Effectiveness: Can the employee effect change, make a difference in the organization and its mission?
- Value: Are the results the employee is experiencing worth her time, effort and emotional investment?
“There are only three measurements that tell you nearly everything you need to know about your organization’s overall performance: employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. It goes without saying that no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.” – Jack Welch, former CEO of GE.
Let’s pledge to take care of our employees’ well being this new year. Cheers to more shared successes in the new year!
