Exploring the Impact of Employee Engagement on Business Success

Recently LinkedIn has witnessed a surge in discussions surrounding Employment Engagement, Employee Experience, Employee Satisfaction, and the concept of "Quiet Quitting." It is crucial to understand the true essence of Employee Engagement (EE) and its implications for your business or organisation. This article delves into this topic, drawing from insights we, at Smoke CI, have learned through our experience in this field.

Understanding Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement, in its various forms, has been a concept in existence since the 1920s. In recent years, it has gained significant attention, reaching its peak in December 2021. According to Wikipedia, Employee Engagement is described as "a fundamental concept in the effort to understand and describe, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the nature of the relationship between an organisation and its employees." An engaged employee is one who wholeheartedly embraces their work, displaying enthusiasm and taking positive actions that further the organisation's reputation and interests.

Four key elements contribute to determining Employee Engagement:

1. Commitment to the organisation: Have employees fully embraced the company's mission and vision?
2. Alignment with the organisation: Do employees' personal beliefs, goals, and values align with their role and future aspirations within the organisation?
3. Job satisfaction: Do employees feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work?
4. Energy: Do employees feel energised by their work, demonstrating enthusiasm rather than watching the clock?

The Significance of Employee Engagement

Studies reveal several advantages associated with engaged employees. They are less likely to be absent from work, exhibit better overall well-being, display higher levels of job satisfaction, and achieve greater productivity. At Smoke CI, we at Smoke CI have witnessed a notable increase in customer satisfaction scores (CSat) for organisational customers that correlated as an increase in Employee Engagement metrics.

A recent survey by Harvard Business Review indicated that 56% of business leaders believe they have experienced a positive return on investment (ROI) by investing in Employee Engagement. Furthermore, 92% of respondents in the survey acknowledged that engaged employees perform better, thus contributing to overall success. Employee Engagement is also linked to reduced costs related to staff turnover and replacement. Engaged employees tend to stay longer, resulting in long-term cost savings.

Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement

Gallup's recent study highlights a concerning trend: Employee Engagement in the United States has declined by 2% points over the past decade, with only 21% of global employees reporting engagement and 19% admitting active disengagement. It is crucial to prevent staff from becoming disengaged and resorting to "Quiet Quitting." The following strategies can help achieve this:

1. Effective communication: Transparent and regular feedback from management enables employees to align themselves with the company's vision. Frequent feedback from superiors not only clarifies employees' roles but also communicates the organisation's direction.
2. Building strong relationships: A supportive environment requires healthy relationships between employees and their managers, as well as among colleagues. Merely offering perks or incentives is insufficient to motivate employees if their relationships are strained.
3. Clear expectations and growth opportunities: Clearly defining job expectations and providing opportunities for career advancement and skill development reduces negativity, resentment, and boredom among employees. Enabling growth and facilitating promotions or role changes within the organisation fosters increased engagement.
4. Shared values and organisational ethos: High-performing teams often emerge from workplaces that prioritise shared values and a clear organisational ethos.

Measuring Employee Engagement

It is essential to measure Employee Engagement to drive improvement. Various methods can be employed, such as pulse surveys, comprehensive employee satisfaction surveys, direct feedback collection, group discussions, and conducting exit interviews with departing employees. These measures provide valuable insights into the level of engagement within the organization.

Smoke CI's Employee Engagement Program

Through our Employee Engagement studies with just over 40 000 employees across the globe, we’ve found that having timeous and actionable data have improved overall workplace wellbeing, reduced employee churn and ultimately saved our client thousands in recruitment and training costs.

Moreover we’ve as much as an 11% increase in customer satisfaction scores from organisations focusing on creating engaged front-line employees.

Contact us today to find out more about our Employee Engagement Program or download our case study on how improved employee retention can save you money through reducing staff churn.