The general misconception is employee engagement = engagement activities among employees.
But that’s not it.
Employee engagement in HR is also how much the employees WANT to own things in the company. How much they are driven to work towards the betterment of the company and their career as well. Here’s where culture comes into play. A good work culture keeps employees motivated and engaged every day.
Reasons why employers are interested in employee engagement?
HRs and employers want to enhance employee engagement for these 4 below reasons. These are vital for a company that wants to grow with their people.
- Employee retention
- Employee satisfaction
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Helps in talent acquisition
Employee retention
Some common reasons why employees leave a company are
- Lack of alignment of their role with the company goal
- Too much workload and no work-life balance
- No space to grow and learn
- Not getting a reasonable compensation
- Lack of challenge
- Not in a fun work environment
Read: Ebook on employee retention strategy 2023
A lot of the above factors can be dealt with easily in a company that has a robust employee-centric culture. HRs have to ensure employees are taken care of by bringing in policies and perks that allow them to balance life and work. Keeping your employees engaged is keeping them involved. Involve them by understanding their needs.
Employee satisfaction
Today, employee satisfaction is not just tied to employees’ monthly paychecks. Employees demand clarity about their scope and growth. Appraisals, peers, promotions and more also have an impact on employee satisfaction. HRs play a significant role here by communicating the growth path and keeping employees engaged. Something like this, can't be built spontaneously. It is continuous process for HRs to be invested in their team managers and team managers in their teams to understand everyone individually and offer personalized solutions that satisfy.
Increased productivity and efficiency
When employees feel involved in their organization, they will work towards the betterment of the same. With aligned goals, employees will without a doubt put their best foot forward. This will ultimately enhance their productivity and efficiency. With transparency in the workplace and healthy competition, any organization can thrive and aim to do better. Involvement, alignment and transparency are crucial for fostering employee engagement.
Talent acquisition
According to a study conducted by Mettl Resources, 52% of the companies that participated took 1 to 3 months to find talent. And 54% said that they face difficulty in finding and attracting talent according to business requirements.
It is a known fact that retention of employees means less effort and cost on talent acquisition. However, it is not limited to that. Attracting top talent is a part of talent acquisition where companies tell and showcase to the talent why they should choose their organization, also called employer branding. Apart from working efficiently and staying loyal, engaged employees also help in spreading the word. Today, on social media, employees are brand ambassadors and stand as a testament to why candidates should join the company.
What does effective employee engagement in an organization look like?
To answer this question, let us read the story of Mishti, an HR professional.
The office buzzed with activity as Mishti, the HR champion for engagement, observed the lively scene. Charmi, a developer, passionately discussed a new feature, fueled by the recently implemented suggestion box. This buzz followed Mishti's commitment to open communication, inspired by employee feedback.
Across the room, Vinith, the marketing manager, mentored a colleague, mirroring the recent training on employee empowerment.
In the break room, a mix of colleagues excitedly planned the company picnic, another initiative fostering connections beyond work silos.
Later, an email arrived from Ram, usually reserved, expressing gratitude for the company yoga session, reflecting Mishti's focus on work-life balance, a frequent topic in employee discussions.
These everyday moments exemplified what Mishti strived for a vibrant culture of open communication, collaboration, growth, and well-being. It was about creating a space where employees felt valued, empowered, and connected to the company's mission.
Now from the above story let us interpret what effective employee engagement looks like beyond perks, one-off initiatives, or even an employee engagement survey but about creating a culture that fosters:
1. Open communication where ideas flow freely, like Charmi's suggestion box-inspired feature, and feedback is valued.
2. Working together like Vinith mentoring his colleague, leading to shared success and fresh perspectives.
3. Initiatives like the company yoga session, or any other corporate wellness programs championed by Mishti, demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance and employee well-being.
Why employees love employee engagement?
Employees would love to be a part of an organization that values and cares for them. It helps them evolve and be a better thinker. Not to forget the emotional and mental effect the workplace has on employees. 36% of Indian employees suffer from mental health issues according to India Today. Workplaces shouldn’t contribute to it but empathize and even can offer mental health support to employees as an employee benefit.
Here are some other reasons why employees love employee engagement and corporate wellness programs.
Read: How to address employee mental wellness in the workplace
Less stress
Employees will have one less thing to stress about if their company culture is good. If employees know that the company is taking care of their career needs, they will be at ease and can focus on their work without any stress. This also improves work-life balance which is positively associated with mental health.
No mid-week blues
Often towards the middle of the week, employees tend to lose focus. Their productivity gets hampered and they are not motivated enough to keep going. Here’s where employee engagement activities make it easier as employees will have something to look forward to.
Read: Fun Friday Games and Activities
Active involvement
When employees are involved in the decision-making process of their organization, their active involvement would keep them motivated to do better for the company. Active participation in their field will enable them to think positively about their company.
Healthy competition
In a healthy environment, there is often room for healthy competition among peers. In an actively involved or engaged organization, this competition will help the company thrive many fold as each member will do their best, making the company better.
Pazcare for your employee healthcare benefits
If you want to tell your employees you love them, employee benefits is the way to do it. And we love companies that want to care for their employees. So we make it easy for companies to care for their employees.
With Pazcare, you can buy any employee benefits insurance in a jiffy. But that’s not it. You can also manage employee insurance easily with our Pazcare dashboard. You don’t have to struggle anymore with TPAs, emails and endorsements. Your employees can also access their policy with the Pazcare app.
Get in touch with us for any group or business insurance including group health insurance, group term life insurance, group personal accident insurance, , etc.
Talent acquisition and employee engagement: How are they connected?
Talent acquisition and employee engagement functions work hand-in-hand, playing a critical role in attracting and retaining top talent. Let us see what statistics say.
Companies with high employee engagement boast 60% more applications than those with low engagement, according to Glassdoor. This leads to a wider pool of qualified candidates, increasing the chances of finding the best fit.
Engaged employees become ambassadors, singing the praises of their workplace to their networks. This results in a 30% higher success rate for referrals compared to other sources, as reported by SHRM
Not only that employee engagement boosts employee retention as well. How?
Gallup highlights that highly engaged teams experience 59% less turnover compared to low-engagement teams. This translates to cost savings associated with the recruitment and training cycle.
Engaged employees are 21% more profitable for companies. Their productivity, creativity, and satisfaction create a positive work environment, further attracting and retaining top talent.
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