A happy and satisfied employee would show more commitment to their company and employer. Hence, it is very important to give thought to their situation, prompting an espousal of the concept of Employee Engagement. Employees need to be engaged all the time, and this is by no means the duty of the HR department alone. The whole company, whether large or small, can benefit from taking this approach.
How Significant is Employee Engagement?
Protecting the human capital is of prime concern in the current scenario of company management. That can be effectively done by giving importance to employees and keeping them engaged. It was found in a survey that 21% more profit flows to the employer when their employees stay constantly engaged.
Setting a definite standard and providing tools to the team would be the initial step of the whole process. A substantial difference has been seen in companies where these changes were introduced – employees there showed more commitment to their work. By working in this way, they push improvement in sales and customer retention for the company, thanks to better customer relationships. In short, employee engagement has its foundation in being empathetic, supportive and attentive. Studies show people feel more empowered when they feel they are being heard. Close to 96% of employees think displayed empathy is crucial to employee retention, and 87% expect support from their employer when it comes to balancing their work life with their personal life. All these things in the work atmosphere have been shown to enable the creation of a strong template for employee engagement.
Getting Started with Engaging Employees
A better office environment emerges when the attitude towards the employees is oriented into a friendlier one. These healthier habits determine the basic culture of the company, and would ideally inform your stand on employees’ wellness and health.
The physical environment in which an employee works, plays a huge role in their mental condition. For example, appropriate lighting and space can make them feel less stressed. Other forms of reshaping the environment include ergonomic workstations, including nutritious foods to restaurant delivery menus, and break rooms, each of which would be an added advantage. Apart from those, organizing meditation and office yoga classes may help employees in managing their stress. That would certainly lead to better productivity and consequent results for the company.
What if they are not engaged?
About 31% of employees at the average workplace were found to be experiencing severe stress levels, in a survey conducted by CareerBuilder. Aches, pains, fatigue, and weight gains are a few things on the long list of physical health issues being linked to work-related stress. Moreover, there is every chance of all these issues collectively ending up as anger, anxiety, and depression. Such employees would not be able to interact well with their colleagues, and would perhaps perform poorly at their job.
Effect on Operational Expenditure from Having Engaged Employees
Though there are more profits to be expected for the company with engaged employees, it may end up costing them more and consuming more time at the outset for getting things set up this way. However, the absence of such a state of affairs can be even costlier, especially in the longer term. U.S. companies end up incurring up to $550 billion in losses solely due to disengaged employees, and there are statistics proving conclusively that all investments made in more effective employee management, can net great dividends in terms of productivity and employee retention. Both of those things can translate to steady overall profitability, which is one of those goals every business should contently be aiming at.
