Get The Measure Of It

An organisations employee engagement level is simply a yardstick for how emotionally motivated, committed, and connected people are to their work however organisations with high levels of employee engagement considerably outperform competitors whose employees are not engaged.

With that in mind, it would be prudent for any organisation to regularly measure employee engagement levels.

An employee survey can be used to gather information about a specific topic, confidentially. Conducting surveys in the workplace helps organisations gauge employee attitudes and perceptions about everything from leadership style and business practices to their individual job satisfaction. The benefit of conducting surveys in the workplace is that it provides a detailed picture of the thoughts and feelings of employees, allowing organisations to see how high or low their employee engagement levels are.

Comparing the results from an employee survey to survey benchmarks can also be very informative in understanding how an organisations scores compare to others in their industry.

There are simple ways to improve employee engagement that can be adapted by an organisation targeted with the use of data produced by a survey.  What is needed is time, focus, attention, patience, persistence and trust.

Employee engagement starts as soon as someone starts their employment, in hiring the right person for the right job and giving the employee a realistic job preview.  Providing on-the-job training or offering relevant and appropriate courses to acquire necessary knowledge and skills helps promote employees towards excellence.

Opportune communication and consistency in communication are important in dispersing rumours.  Employees who feel listened to and feel comfortable expressing dissatisfaction are better able to work with others to resolve differences than those unable or not allowed to communicate.

Operating a rewards or incentives program helps promote employee engagement.  While money is not always a motivating factor, recognition, awards for outstanding service or good performance, profit sharing, an extra day off, or tickets to a show or sporting event can all motivate employees towards commitment to their work.

Activities and events that promote team building and a feeling of inclusion are also very effective.  A company picnic in work time, recreational activities, or volunteering to clean up a park can build comradeship and a sense of belonging and accomplishment while having fun.

And finally, coaching and mentoring can effectively develop leadership skills and behaviours, encouraging better engagement levels at work.

If you would like to learn more about how The Survey Initiative can help your organisation measure employee engagement, contact us on +44 (0) 1255 850051.