This one factor is all you need for great employee engagement!
Don’t believe employee engagement is something you need to worry about? According to recent research, the UK has one of the lowest levels of employee engagement in the developed world – one study suggested that merely raising engagement levels could result in a £28.5bn gain in productivity to the UK economy! Happier, psychologically engaged employees tend to work harder, thrive and innovate, and are more likely to remain loyal to their current employer.
So how do you create employee engagement? If you currently have a demotivated, disengaged workforce, you risk negativity and a revolving door of employees who are costly and time-consuming to replace. A culture of engagement results from coordinated strategies implemented from the top down but which fundamentally boil down to one factor – encouraging employees to find intrinsic value in their work.
Huh? What’s intrinsic value?
Think what motivates you to work. Your salary at the end of the month is a strong motivator. The great personal satisfaction you get from doing a stimulating job that you enjoy, however, is a factor that many people don’t recognise, yet is crucial in gaining an engaged workforce. We are all motivated by extrinsic factors such as salary, bonuses etc, however it is the intrinsic factors that engage your staff and motivate them to strive for personal and company success. These factors could include personal satisfaction, a well-mapped career path and an environment where achievements are praised and failure is seen as a learning opportunity.
Intrinsic factors are those that have been shown to keep motivation levels elevated. An employee who feels a high level of purpose and value, with a sense that their work has an important role to play in the success of the company will be highly engaged and driven. They are also more likely to want to stay. These people hold the most worth to any organisation, as they remain because they want to see their organisation succeed, not because there is no other option. Interestingly, according to a study carried out by Kenneth Thomas and colleagues, it was noted that, ‘employees with high levels of intrinsic rewards also become informal recruiters and marketers for their organisation. They recommend the organisation to friends as a place to work and recommend its products and services to potential customers.’ The benefits of engaged employees therefore can be seen to go far beyond the personal and extend out from the workplace into the community at large.
How can ENGAGE help?
ENGAGE is an award-winning app that delivers employee engagement. How? Once management realises the value in engaged employees in terms of positive energy, creativity and innovation in the workplace – and let’s not forget, a healthier bottom line – ENGAGE puts the tools to connect with each employee in the palm of your hand, both individually and across the organisation. Click below to book a quick demo to find out how ENGAGE can turbo-charge your employee engagement strategy.
