Feel the Love – Creating an engaging workplace culture.

If you believe that talking about creating an engaging workplace culture is too “soft” for your idea of what a successful business is, then we would like to pose to you a question… What is the relationship between employee engagement and business success? One recent Gallup Poll* concluded that 34% of workers are engaged, 16.5% are actively disengaged, which leaves 53% who are not engaged in their job responsibilities and the company they work for. That means companies that are most successful at engaging their employees have four times (4X) the earnings-per-share growth potential than their competitors. Pretty compelling, right?

What does employee engagement look like in practice?

It’s easy to imagine the average day for an actively disengaged employee. But what does an engaged worker look like? This is a person who is motivated beyond the normal duties of their job description, is driven by the organization’s vision, understands their value in the organization, and consistently demonstrates the behavior to support the organization’s interests. Companies that promote employee engagement enjoy more highly effective communication, enhanced teamwork, and a greater degree of customer satisfaction. Employee engagement doesn’t just appear, however, it takes thoughtful planning, and consistent and perpetual work from the leaders on down until it is woven into the fabric of your company culture.

Where do I start?

As with many things, recognizing that your culture is valuable and needs work is a start. Understanding that a strong company culture is built on a foundation of trust is the first step. Your company culture and employee engagement depends on you. Taking a look in the mirror and asking: Do I do what I say I will do? Do I seek out and listen to employee feedback? Do my employees understand what I expect of them? Do they believe their opinions matter? By honestly observing your employees and understanding where you are as a leader, you can recognize what areas need improvement. Know your role in the process, communicate expectations, create opportunities for growth, and give your employees a target to work toward.

What are the Next Steps?

Recharge Your Strategy

You have worked hard, day in and day out on the success of your business. You know where you want it to go, but sharpening your strategic plan in the context of a multi-generational workforce in a global economy can give you a new sense of direction. By setting priorities, focusing resources, and strengthening operations, you refresh the message of the common goals everyone can work toward.

Focus on Leadership

The leaders and managers within your organization are your conduit to a strong culture and happy employees. Leadership and business coaching is one way to hone in on emerging skills that can be utilized, as well as identify gaps that need need attention. All companies hit a point in their growth when progress appears to stagnate. Leadership coaching can provide the objectivity, structure, and accountability for those in your organization responsible for perpetuating your company goals, which in turn will help you build a stronger culture.

Retain the Best of the Best

With turnover rates trending upward, top employees need a reason to stay, and when a position needs to be filled, knowing how to best find the right candidate can make or break your growth trajectory. Placing employees and hiring for new positions is one of the most important, and costly, decisions your organization makes. Ensuring you have the right candidates saves not only time and money, but prevents missteps that can damage employee engagement. By clarifying direction, improving communication, providing opportunity for growth, and building a sense of ownership, your top performers and will feel invested in your company and inspired by their role and opportunities.

Summary/Conclusion

Remember, employee engagement comes down to people. At all levels of your organization, people need to understand what the goal is, what tools are available to them, what their options are, and that the company is behind them. Creating an engaging workplace culture starts at the top, but it is grown with the help of leaders at all levels of your organization. Employee engagement is essential to the sustained success of any company. Only the best will make the investment.