High levels of employee engagement promote retention of talent, foster customer loyalty and improve organizational performance and stakeholder value, according to SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management). 

The term employee engagement relates to the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals, and their motivation to put in discretionary effort into their work. Put another way, it is the profound, personal, empowered investment in their work.

Note that employee engagement should not be confused with job satisfaction. 

Simply put, employee engagement happens when the organization values the employee and the employee values the organization. 

Why?

A Harvard Business Review study states that smart business leaders “recognize that a highly engaged workforce can increase innovation, productivity, and bottom-line performance while reducing costs related to hiring and retention in highly competitive talent markets.”

Having a high-performing workforce is essential for a company’s growth and survival—especially now in the “rapid cycle economy.” Engaged employees have a sense of personal connection with their job and company. They are motivated and give their best to help it succeed. How people behave at work can make the crucial difference between business success or failure. 

On the flip side, disengagement can cause damage to a company’s growth, productivity, and profitability over time. Low employee engagement rates can devastate a company if left unchecked.

For example, a Gallup study showed that companies in the top quartile for employee engagement outperform their competitors in the lowest quartile in many categories, including:

• 10 higher customer ratings
• 21 higher profitability
• 20 higher productivity
• 24-59 lower turnover
• 41 lower absenteeism
• 40 fewer quality defects

How?

When it comes to employee engagement, you’re playing the long game—it doesn’t happen overnight and requires consistent effort. You need an action plan with measurable priorities. Here are just some of the ways you keep your employees engaged:

• Communicate your company’s mission, goals and core values
• Demonstrate authenticity and transparency to keep employees in the know
• Encourage individual creative freedom
• Solicit open, honest feedback from employees
• Promote a fun, positive culture to create a sense of belonging
• Keep employees busy with meaningful work
• Encourage collaboration in the workplace
• Recognize employees for their hard work
• Provide opportunities for professional development and growth
• Evaluate the progress through periodic surveys

Employee engagement isn’t just “nice to have.” It has to be a core component of your company at all levels.

The team at Chemistry PR and Multimedia would like to know how you are engaging your employees, and how those efforts have contributed to your success. Or, if you haven’t been, we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Chris Kuban started Chemistry PR and Multimedia with a vision to effectively formulate corporate and non-profit brands across the country. In doing so, he has become an expert in Media Relations, Event Management, Social Media implementation and video production.  He engages, coordinates and oversees a diverse team of local and national suppliers, vendors, employees and consultants, allowing him to successfully coordinate over 120 national events focusing on overall logistics, media relations and his clients’ expected ROI. Follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.