As the economy soured, so did engagement, as employees watched their workloads increase and their peers pack up their offices.
A recent study by the Corporate Leadership Council showed that employee engagement has declined steadily, in line with economic conditions, quarter by quarter from 2007 through 2009. Having an engaged work force is not simply a “nice to have” for an organization; it is critical, says Darrell Hartke, Ph.D., industrial/organizational psychologist in the St. Louis office of Aon Consulting.
“With employee engagement being positively linked to outcomes such as organizational profit, retention and job satisfaction, it is something that all organizations must manage,” says Hartke.
Organizations that manage their talent well when the economy flounders have a much better chance of emerging as industry leaders during a recovery.
Smart Business spoke with Hartke about how to engage your top talent to ensure that your company comes out on top.
What is employee engagement?
While the work environment is a critical component of employee engagement, it is the interplay between the individual and the environment that drives engagement — i.e., does the individual fit with the environment, and does the environment meet the individual’s unique needs and expectations?
In recent years, dialogue around employee engagement has exploded. Yet, when organizational leaders are asked what they mean by employee engagement, they give a multitude of responses. But engagement really is the mental, physical and emotional attachment that an employee experiences with regard to his or her work. Engaged employees are:
- Passionate and enthusiastic about their work
- Devoted to getting the job done right
- Immersed fully in the task at hand
- Focused and concentrating intensely while on the job
- Driven to do whatever it takes to complete the task
How are leaders driving engagement?
Leaders are the people who have a disproportionate influence on the business, influencing the products and services offered, competitive positioning and the performance, satisfaction and engagement of employees. While there is no longer a leadership shortage when you look at the raw numbers of talented people in the job market, there is still a leadership shortage when it comes to finding the right leaders. Organizations take a chance when they don’t keep a pipeline of future leaders filled. If you scaled back on leadership development programs last year, revitalize them. One of the most basic practices in building pools of leadership talent is to systematically assess and develop it to ensure leaders have the skills to fit within your organization, drive employee engagement and fuel growth.
