Employees are, undoubtedly, a company’s most important asset.
It doesn’t matter if you have the best marketing plan or the most innovative product — without the right people, no one can help you capitalize on those advantages.
That’s why it’s crucial to hire only the best talent.
But far more important than attracting employees is keeping them. That starts with ensuring they stay happy and engaged. But what does it mean to have an excellent workplace engagement and why does it matter?
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is a measure of how committed and connected people are to your organization. It’s one of the most critical factors for business success since it affects productivity, employee retention, and, ultimately, revenue.
Engaged employees are typically optimistic, highly driven team players. They know their job role and perform it with an enthusiasm that borders on passion. They are relentless problem solvers who are motivated to find solutions and advance their company’s mission and vision.
At the other end of the spectrum are disengaged employees, who display an overall negative work behavior. They’re pessimistic, unreliable, and often resort to blaming their coworkers. Money is often their only motivation. As a result, they won’t go above and beyond for your company or your customers unless their paycheck increases.
Why is Employee Engagement Important?
The most important consequence of employee engagement is a high level of productivity, which can increase by 22%, according to a report by Gallup. Not only are engaged people more than willing to do high-quality work beyond the bare minimum, but they can also help their coworkers to do the same.
However, it’s more than just raw productivity numbers. Engaged employees are independent, think critically, and make better decisions that can truly drive your company forward.
Engaged employees also tend to stay with you for the long haul, which can help keep your retention levels high. Over time, it can save you from the time and money that’s spent attracting, hiring, and re-training staff.
Remember, it’s important not to associate engagement with job satisfaction because, contrary to what many think, they’re not the same.
Employee engagement requires that the person is actively contributing to the goals of the company. Job satisfaction only deals with how fulfilled an employee feels about their job, regardless of the quality of their output. An employee can therefore have high job satisfaction but low engagement.
What Drives Employee Engagement?
The factors of employee engagement can be divided into two categories: organizational and management.
Organizational factors refer to the overall structure and culture of a company that influences engagement levels. A large part of this depends on how well top management invests in making the company an excellent place for employees. When employees trust the CEO and truly believe that the company will be successful, it’s a recipe for high engagement.
Management factors deal with the daily work experience of employees that can build or lower engagement. Staff who have a positive relationship with their direct supervisors and managers are most likely to be engaged employees. Room for growth, freedom to make decisions, and the authority to execute their job functions are key management factors that lead to higher engagement.
The common trait here is trust — if an employee trusts the company, they will be much more engaged.
Measuring Employee Engagement
You can’t improve what you can’t measure. The same is true with employee engagement. If you don’t know how engaged the people in your organization are, it could be challenging to create employee engagement strategies.
An easy way to measure employee engagement is through surveys. However, it can be equally easy to gather incomplete or inaccurate data. It’s essential to include at least 80 questions that tackle various aspects to get a complete picture of employee engagement.
One employee engagement best practice is to compare your results with other businesses in your industry. Doing so will allow you to see where you can improve your employee engagement policies.
How to Improve Employee Engagement Using Benefits
A comprehensive benefits package is a vital component of your employees’ engagement program. The better the benefits, the more employees feel valued and give back to your organization. It all goes back to taking care of your people, so they’ll take care of you.
And of all the employment benefits, nothing has more impact than healthcare plans. Easy access to a healthcare plan can eliminate worries about treatment and allow your employees to comfortably look after their physical and mental health. With their basic needs met, they’re free to focus on their job and commit to your company.
Eden Health’s integrated healthcare platform takes your employee health benefits one step further by providing employees 24/7 access to their own dedicated Care Team. Employees can seek care via in-person or virtual appointments and get quick responses to their medical questions right through the app.
See how you can add Eden Health to your employee engagement plan by contacting us today.
