Six Steps for Making a Business Case
Organizations tend to work collectively. Ideas tend to come to individuals within the organization. However, they need to be spread across the organization. Any change only takes place if several people in key positions believe that the idea is good enough. This is where a business case comes in handy. Executives from all departments in […]
Importance of Career Development
Although the business environment has been endlessly experiencing negative changes such as economic downsizing and restructuring resulting in fewer hierarchical positions but at the same time the need for improving productivity while keeping a pace with continuously changing technology has also increased. Organizations, therefore, instead of hiring a new individual from the market prefer to […]
Role of Motivation in Employee Retention
Employee retention involves various steps taken to retain an employee who wishes to move on. An employee must find his job challenging and as per his interest to excel at work and stay with the organization for a longer period of time. The management plays an important role in retaining the talented employees who are […]
Things Employees Hide from Managers
Why do you think employees lie to their managers and superiors? There are several instances when employees feel compelled to hide the truth from their seniors. Let us go through some instances where the phrase “Honesty is the best policy” does not work. An employee will never tell his manager that the targets imposed on […]
Pay Cuts vs. Lay-Offs
Recessions and downturns are part of a normal business cycle. When business is booming, corporations tend to hire more people than they need. This is the reason why these same corporations are later forced to lay off some of their employees during periods of recession. However, layoffs are seen as being inherently negative. Companies that […]
Organizations have come to realize that in today’s constantly changing business scenario, the most valuable resource that needs to be leveraged is human resource. This means not just attracting the creme-de-la-creme and retaining them but keeping them motivated and committed to achieving the organization goals.
Though Employee Engagement (EE) as a business buzzword has generated research and steam since the new economy service industries like IT (Information Technology) and ITES (IT enables services) have taken off, the origins of engagement are as old as mankind itself.
We shall try and decode and define employee engagement as used and implemented by organizations today by looking at the very origins of engagement practices.
History records that about 2300 years ago, Alexander (356 BC – 323 BC) was able to march ahead and conquer unknown lands by battling for years across continents, miles away from home, because he had an engaged army that was willing to abide by its commander.
Alexander is known to have achieved the engaged workforce by ensuring that he spent face time with his men, listening and addressing grievance, ensuring on time payment of salary, dressing like the rest of his army and most importantly by leading from front.
More recently, in World War II, Americans funded a lot of money for researching the behaviour of its soldiers to be able to predict their battle readiness.
History is dotted with examples of leaders who have led their men by building a psychological commitment between their men and their ideology to achieve greatness. In this psychological contract lies the roots of today’s Employee Engagement theories propounded by organizations.
An engaged workforce produces better business results, does not hop jobs and more importantly is an ambassador of the organization at all points of time. This engagement is achieved when people consider their organization respects their work, their work contributes to the organization goals and more importantly their personal aspirations of growth, rewards and pay are met.
The Hay Group defines enagaged performance as “a result that is achieved by stimulating employees’ enthusiasm for their work and directing it toward organization success. This result can only be achieved when employers offer an implicit contract to their employees that elicits specific positive behaviours aligned with organization’s goals...”
Lanphear defines EE as “the bond employees have with their organization” Lanphear further espouses that “when employees really care about the business, they are more likely to go the extra mile.”
The definitions, as seen, focus on employer as well as the employee. Today’s millennial workforce is more informed, connected, willing to work given learning opportunities. Personal growth, opportunities to learn and explore is becoming a primary driver. Equity more then pay is a driving force. Catering to the changing needs to foster engaged employees is the need of the hour.
In conclusion, understanding employee engagement drivers, measuring and enhancing engagement offers promise of better business performance by ambassadors of the organization who work like entrepreneurs and help sustain organization growth through innovation and lower employee turnover.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
