Employee engagement is more important than ever, as many opportunities are currently opening up for employees. Many employers want to retain their employees - now experts in their business - and must therefore learn to engage employees and update themselves on how to retain today’s workforce.

Whereas in the past money was often considered the main driver for retaining employees - nowadays employees are looking for more than that. Today’s employees want to feel like a part of the bigger picture and to be valued by the company they work for. They also want to be given the opportunity to develop within the business and to increase their knowledge and skills.

When employees are not engaged in these ways, job satisfaction and productivity can be negatively affected which, in turn, can have a negative effect on overall business performance. However, it is possible to reverse this problem if management adopt a more ‘organic’ and open method of dealing with their staff. Encouraging and enabling the development of employee engagement can have an incredibly beneficial impact on organisations.

In organisations where employee engagement is evident there is a positive connection between employees and their organisation. This connection leads to improved performance, productivity, staff retention, customer service and loyalty. Research has frequently validated the links between how employees are managed, employee attitudes and business performance showing that when employers deliver on their commitments, they reinforce their employees’ sense of fairness and trust in the organisation. This in turn can strengthen the relationship between employer and employees.

Employers must realise that employees are a company’s greatest asset. Their creativity, ideas and enthusiasm for your business to help it grow and succeed can be invaluable. Considering this and to further engage employees, managers should approach each employee as someone that can offer a valuable and unique contribution to the company.

The benefits

When a workforce feels engaged they will be encouraged to:

• Go the ‘Extra Mile’ to achieve individual and company success
• Become more innovative in the workplace
• Attract more customers and high standard employees
• Become ambassadors of the company, its product, processes and its people
• Infuse energy and positivity at work – creating a positive workplace

How to engage employees

To engage employees:

• Ensure that employees have everything they need to do their jobs. Just as marketplace and customer needs change often, so do employees' needs.
• Managers should clearly communicate what is expected of employees - what the company values and vision are, and how the company defines success.
• Get to know your employees – what their goals and fears are. How do they define success and what direction do they see the business going in?  Managers should show an interest in each employee’s well-being, meet and talk with them on a regular basis and establish what makes them feel fulfilled in their role.
• It is important that managers know how to manage and engage their staff. Managers should receive regular training in various people management skills training, such as performance management and talent development. These skills will teach management how to interact with their employees effectively.  
• On an annual or biannual basis a development plan can be put in place for each employee. This will outline objectives for the employee and the supports available to the employee to achieve these goals. These goals and objectives should be created and agreed by the manager and the employee together.