Statistics show a distinct correlation between profitable revenue growth and employee engagement. According to HR Daily Advisor, for employers in the top tier of employee engagement, they outshine lesser-engaged competitors by 147% in earnings per share and have a 90% better growth trend. But for those companies not in the top tier of employee engagement, it’s a struggle to break out of the status quo. A recent study found that even though 90% of C-level leaders find importance in an employee engagement strategy, only 25% of companies actually have one.
The statistics regarding employee engagement are pretty alarming. A Gallup study found that 51% of employees in the U.S. are not engaged in the workplace, and that same percentage of employees are looking for another job while working at their current one. A Robert Half study shows that 28% of new hires say they would quit their new jobs if they didn’t find it satisfactory in the first 90 days. According to The Engagement Institute, disengaged employees can cost organizations between $450 and $550 billion annually, whether in productivity loss or employee replacement cost.
The benefits of having engaging workers are more than just the productivity and bottom line. Engaged workers provide better customer service, stay at their job longer; make less mistakes than their disengaged counterparts, and speak highly of their employer outside of work.
Engaged Employees Don’t Happen By Accident
An engagement and culture report from TinyPulse revealed that only 21% of workers feel strongly valued at work. Add that feeling of insignificance to the current issues with harassment in many industries, and it’s no wonder employee engagement in the U.S. falls so short.
Engagement occurs when workers trust their employers and feel an emotional connection to the company. Employee engagement is not a box to check off in the employee handbook, but rather a strategy put together by HR Managers and leaders in the company. Successful engagement strategies are cultivated and nurtured by senior leaders and are tailored to what employees really want. The easiest way to make employees feel valued is to just listen to what they’re saying.
Multiple surveys taken by employees have shown successful engagement results:
- 92% of employees say showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention (Businessolver)
- 80% of employees felt more engaged when their work was consistent with the core values and mission of their organisation (IBM)
- 78% of employees who say their company encourages creativity and innovation are committed to their employer (ReportLinker)
- Empowerment and voice was a contributor to a positive employee experience (17%) (Globoforce)
- Coworker relationships is a contributor to a positive employee experience (16%) (Globoforce)
- Feedback, recognition and growth are contributors to a positive employee experience (16%) (Globoforce)
- Meaningful work is the single largest contributor to a positive employee experience (27%) (Globoforce)
- 49% of employees cited coworkers as a reason to stay over salary (48%), working conditions (46%) and job security (46%) (Ceridian)
- Employees prefer financial benefits, such as profit-sharing (40%), pensions (51%) and monetary bonuses (54%), and would be willing to change jobs to receive these benefits (Gallup)
- 75% of employees reported they’re more likely to stay with their employer because of their benefit program (Willis Towers Watson)
- Employees who are engaged with their financial wellness program are likely to stay at the company (56%), stay or become healthy (50%) and remain productive in the office (45%) (Ernst & Young)
- 45% of employees would feel more engaged with their job if their employer helped them better understand the impact of taxes and deductions (Kronos)
Benefits, values, empathy, feedback, and empowerment. While they may sound like a bunch of buzz words, those are the things that make talented employees and employment candidates excited to come to work every day. But what do your employees want from their employer? A simple survey conducted by your HR department can help you direct your engagement strategy in the right direction.
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