Employee engagement is the essential element to add value in your organization. It not only creates a difference on a single employee but on the whole organization. There are numerous benefits of employee engagement as we all are aware, and this is why it is the most concerning problem of recruiting professionals. The problem of employee engagement and the role of HR in controlling this is getting crucial with time. There are almost 85% of employees who are not engaged with their work. This is mainly due to the behavior of manager or management decisions. The recruiters have to playa mediating role between employees and management.
Thus, all the responsibility of managing employee engagement at the workplace is on HR. Let me elaborate it to you in more depth, the role and connection of HR and employee engagement, along with a glimpse of employee engagement in connection with employer branding.
Key role of HR in employee engagement
The job markets are getting concentrated, and job opportunities getting scarce. Even in this condition, does employee engagement matters?
I believe yes, the lack of employee engagement can cause up to $450-550 billion/year loss. It is connected with every stakeholder, manager, and leader.
However, HR manages multiple aspects in an office that can create a direct impact on employee engagement.
Let shed some more light on the role of HR in the expansion of employee engagement.
All the recruiters out there get ready to learn your significance, or you can say responsibilities in engaging employees.
1. Motivating and inspiring employees
The first role that HR has to play in increasing employee engagement is motivating and appreciating their employees. This process shall not be direct, rather through managers.
As 57% of employees left their job due to their manager, HR can empower managers with all the necessary tools and equipment to motivate their employees.
If you are hiring a new manager, then the ‘onboarding program’ is the best trick. It is a short course that elaborates the company culture and expectations of a new manager.
Well, simple steps that manager can take in motivating employees are:
- Active listening to all the problems of employees.
- Go and thank each employee personally for their outstanding achievement.
- Assign the task and take follow up in a motivating manner.
- Discuss with them the latest company issues and their possible solutions.
2. Appreciating individual contribution
HR serves as a bridge between the organization's annual goal and individual contribution. Recruiters are generally responsible to cater all of the individual appreciation and appraisals.
In an ideal situation, HR must provide a clear overview of its annual target, team’s target and individual’s contribution to achieving it. The easiest way is to align policies that depict employees' value and role in the organization's growth.
Along with this, their personal growth shall also be reflected in this to assure their engagement level. Appreciating employees organization's can increase revenue by 682%. At the end of the year, you can either provide them with monetary gifts or appreciation awards such as "best employee" or "highest performing employee" award. For instance, if you employ software developers you can initiate the "coding master" award.
3. Reflecting the employee's role
Value of employees is the number one reason for increasing or decreasing employee engagement.
Recruiters are responsible for recognizing each employee on an individual base for increasing creativity and productivity.
40% of employees accept that they would be more engaged if they are recognized individually, we suggest introduction of "formal employee recognition scheme".
In this scheme, you have to appreciate every employee in a team who are performing outstandingly. What makes it different from other sorts of appreciations is that it is on time. Please don’t wait for the year-end or a corporate event; give them recognition on the spot.
4. Maintaining the company's culture
Maintaining a company’s culture is also a role of HR to increase employee engagement. Without any doubt, all the leading organizations have a distinct organizational culture.
94% of executives considered it effective for business growth. You can do it in two ways; the first is by providing adequate training. If you hire a bunch of tech talents and are training them for firefighting in office, this may create a feeling of mistrust and results in lesser engagement level.
If you hire a bunch of tech talents and are training them for firefighting in office, this may create a feeling of mistrust and results in lesser engagement level.
The second one is by making rules that imply on all. When a newly hired employee observes a mismanaged office with no particular culture, they might consider shifting their job significantly.
5. Building communication network
Communication network serves as a secret ingredient in employee engagement. HR department is responsible for creating a communication network between leaders and employees as 91% of employees believe that their leader lacks necessary communication skills.
You have to clear that air in between employer and employees. Perfect communication is like a recipe; every situation needs a different mix.
The ultimate success of effective communication is two-way communications. Listen, process and then respond to your employees, also provide them with options to give their feedback.
6. Providing compensation and benefits
The number of employers doesn't appreciate compensation and benefits. They resemble it with hygiene factor; more than an optimum level will only increase shine and doesn't impact the performance. In the survey conducted by WeAreDevelopers, 46% of software developers responded that salary was the main reason for their last job change.
This is followed by 37% of emotional connection at working place. As an HR, you should provide them with compensation but within a limit.
The best way is to provide them an off day on important days or extra pay on late hours; these small things do matter in increasing employee engagement.
Impact of employee engagement on employer branding
Employee engagement level serves as the cornerstone in employer branding. If your employer branding strategy does not value your employees, and their EVP is in imbalance, then your entire struggle will be in vain.
Let’s discuss some more impacts that employee engagement can create on employer branding.
1. Exemption from job-market competition
A company's identity is the key element that the job seekers consider. Almost 63% of newly hired employees joint he organization because their mission aligns with that of the organization.
But how exactly you will benefit from this? Imagine that an employee chooses your company not because of the job or monetary benefits, but because of who you are.
You’ll have the upper hand on competitors while attracting productive employees.
2. Lesser employee turnover
The average employee turnover rate is 19%, which seems normal, but can cost you millions.
The core advantage of employee engagement on employer branding is that it reduced the turnover rate. When all of your employees are engaged, their motivation and satisfaction increase. These factors will eliminate any potential chance to switch an organization.
3. Word of mouth marketing
The poor employer branding can cost you up to $7.6 million additional in terms of wages. The increased level of satisfaction will increase your word of mouth in the market.
Your employees will post online reviews and will discuss the ultimate benefits of joining the organization in their circle. This will be an enhancement in the overall image and reputation of an organization in the market.
4. Higher performing employees
Your highly reputable image in the market, lesser turnover, and positive word of mouth by every employee will make you the most desirable organization to work with.
The most desirable organization's designation will allow you to handpick employees that suit well to the organization, ultimately increasing employees' overall productivity.
Wrapping it up
Employee engagement is the backbone of your office. Regardless of your efforts, your entire struggle is in vain if your organization does not have an engaged workforce.
Being an HR, we all believe that employees are the most valuable asset of an organization, and their productivity and satisfaction are at the utmost priority. Employee engagement can create a direct and significant impact on both of these factors.
Many organizations miss this obligatory element to be introduced in their policy and company structure that causes them significant setbacks. Not only your revenue generation, but your branding in the market can also be affected by this.
This is a guest article by Stella Lincoln, she is currently working as Assistant Editor at Crowd Writer. She is a proud writer willing to pen down a different genre of writing. Her passion for writing is evident from her blogs.
