DISENGAGED EMPLOYEES? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Next month John Oliver, LEAD Masterclass speaker and former CEO of Leyland Trucks will be delivering his spell-binding talk on Radical Employee Engagement and how to lead in uncertain times to our LEAD delegates. As a taster, please enjoy the following insights into how to generate greater employee engagement in your firm.

The latest data on employee engagement is downright discouraging. Research shows that engagement among British workers is as low as 8%.  This means nine out of ten people are either “checked out”, or actively hostile toward their employers. Nine out of ten!

Source: Gallup, State of the Global Workplace Report (2017)

Study after study shows that employee engagement, an index of bringing one’s best and full self to work, is not just an organisational nicety. It is a business imperative, linked to a number of performance outcomes, including profitability, customer satisfaction and turnover.

Leaders must address employee engagement so here are a few pointers to help you to make real inroads in this area:

1. Understand the basics of empowerment. Workers respond positively to more responsibility and authority in their daily tasks. Workers also prefer autonomy. In other words, people generally do well when they are empowered to make choices and decisions for themselves.

2. Find out what engages your employees, not someone else’s. While broad research is a valuable resource, it can only take an organisation so far. No theory or model is useful in the abstract. What matters is your business and your people. Ironically, most organisations use engagement results punitively; they focus on what is going wrong, and on why people aren’t as engaged as they could be. A better approach is to figure out what’s already working in your business, and find ways to replicate it. Go to the most engaged individuals, teams and business units (i.e. the top 20%), and help others learn from them.

3. Encourage grassroots engagement. Engagement cannot be mandated, but it can be ignited. Once you understand what matters to your employees, you can support its expression and replication far and wide. Empower your people, particularly the most engaged employees, to share stories, exchange ideas and disseminate best practices across the business. A well-designed piece of media, such as a video “starring” members of a thriving team can gain traction and become a source of encouragement for others. With the rise of social media and digital workplace technologies, it’s easier than ever to connect employees and make engagement contagious.

4. Recognise engagement as a moving target, and check back often. While certain elements of employee engagement will surely hold over time, it’s not something that can be assessed and addressed just once. To keep your organisation engaged, you must remain engaged, curious, and connected yourself.

What are you doing about employee engagement, and what can you share with others?