Employee engagement is a hot topic! Everyone wants it, everyone wants to be it. But what is it? Four questions, four answers, let’s go:
1. Why do we think it is so important for our employees to be engaged?
Employees are the heart of your organisation. If they are engaged, your organisation will be engaged. Engaged employees are often happier within their job, are more productive, healthier, not burnt out and are less likely to look for another job.
2. Why are there so few employees engaged?
According to the source which is used in almost all employee engagement articles: Gallup, is only a small percentage (current percentage of 38% in the US “the highest percentage in years”) engaged. Why is this percentage so low? There are multiple reasons to why this could be the case. First, the description of an ‘engaged employee’ is so strict, that this automatically can only apply to a small number of people. Second, the research is done through questionnaires. If someone has to fill in how ‘engaged’ they feel today, is it crystal clear what they mean by ‘engaged’? And is this the same compared to their colleague and their definition of ‘engaged’? Gallup, is er maar een klein percentage (huidig percentage van 38% in de US “het hoogste percentage in jaren”) betrokken. Waarom is dit percentage zo laag? Er zijn meerdere redenen waarom dit zo kan zijn. Ten eerste, de omschrijving van een ‘betrokken medewerker’ is zo streng, dat deze automatisch maar op weinig mensen van toepassing kan zijn. Ten tweede, de metingen worden gedaan met vragenlijsten. Als iemand moet invullen hoe ‘betrokken’ hij of zij zich vandaag voelt, is het dan precies ingekaderd wat diegene met ‘betrokken’ bedoeld? En is dit hetzelfde dan wat een collega onder ‘betrokken’ ziet?
It could be that there is a higher percentage of engaged employees, but that the way in which this is researched, has to be evaluated.
3. If my employees are engaged, will they not get a burn-out?
Besides employee engagement, burn-out is a hot topic. Employee engagement should be a miracle solution through which your employees will never ever get a burn out. Unfortunately, this is not the reality. It is true that engaged employees are less likely to burn out, especially regarding job related engagement. But we know that a burn out is not only caused by work related circumstances.
That is why it is so important to evaluate and improve employee engagement with taking the full picture of an employee into consideration. An employee does not leave their entire home and personal situation behind at the organisational entrance.
4. How complicated is it to get my employees engaged?
Sounds wonderful, this employee engagement, but how do I fix this? People are complex and engagement does not work the same for everyone. My research shows that people in different phases of their career, experience different influences towards engagement. Often there are little changes an organisation can make in, for example, their communication or management style which can have a direct effect. There is no miracle solution to achieve employee engagement but with multiple (small) interventions will the organisation and the employee notice a direct difference.
For more information, contact me!
I advise organisations regarding employee engagement, sustainable careers, absenteeism and burn-out. I help organisations to stimulate their employees to a work life they enjoy and which add value for the employee and the organisation.
Sources:
Harter, J. (2020) Employee engagement hits new high. Available on: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/316064/employee-engagement-hits-new-high-historic-drop.aspx (Accessed: 6/8/2020)
