Employee engagement, also called worker engagement, is a business management concept.

An "engaged employee" is one who is fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work, and thus will act in a way that furthers their organization's interests. According to Scarlett Surveys, "Employee Engagement is a measurable degree of an employee's positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organization that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at work". Thus engagement is distinctively different from employee satisfaction, motivation and organisational culture. Employee engagement was described in the academic literature by Schmidt et al. (1993). A modernised version of job satisfaction, Schmidt et al.'s influential definition of engagement was "an employee's involvement with, commitment to, and satisfaction with work. Employee engagement is a part of employee retention." This integrates the classic constructs of job satisfaction (Smith et al., 1969), and organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991). Harter and Schmidt's (2003) most recent metaanalysis can be useful for understanding the impact of engagement. The opposite of employee engagement is a zombie employee. A zombie employee is a disengaged employee that will stumble [1] around the office, lower morale and cost the company money. . Linkage research (e.g., Treacy) received significant attention in the business community because of correlations between employee engagement and desirable business outcomes such as retention of talent, customer service, individual performance, team performance, business unit productivity, and even enterprise-level financial performance (e.g., Rucci et al, 1998 using data from Sears). Some of this work has been published in a diversity context (e.g., McKay, Avery, Morris et al., 2007). Directions of causality were discussed by Schneider and colleagues in 2003. Employee engagement is derived from studies of morale or a group's willingness to accomplish organizational objectives which began in the 1920s. The value of morale to organizations was matured by US Army researchers during WWII to predict unity of effort and attitudinal battle-readiness before combat. In the postwar mass production society that required unity of effort in execution, (group) morale scores were used as predictors of speed, quality and militancy. With the advent of the knowledge worker and emphasis on individual talent management (stars), a term was needed to describe an individual's emotional attachment to the organization, fellow associates and the job. Thus the birth of the term "employee engagement" which is an individual emotional phenomenon whereas morale is a group emotional phenomenon of similar characteristics. In other words, employee engagement is the raw material of morale composed of 15 intrinsic and extrinsic attitudinal drivers.(e.g. Scarlett Surveys 2001). More recently employee engagement has become an area of focus within organizations for the purpose of retention as a means of avoiding expensive employee replacement costs resulting from staff who [2] voluntarily quit their jobs. According to SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) the cost of replacing one $8 per hour employee can exceed $3,500, which gives companies a strong financial [3] incentive to maintain their existing staff members through strong employee engagement practices.

Contents
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1 Research studies

o o o o o

1.1 Emotional attachment 1.2 Involvement 1.3 Commitment 1.4 Life insurance industry 1.5 Productivity

2 Generating engagement 3 Drivers of engagement 4 Drivers of disengagement 5 Potential red flags 6 Initiatives 7 Engagement levels 8 References in popular culture 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading

Research studies
Engaged employees care about the future of the company and are willing to invest discretionary [4] effort. Engaged employees feel a strong emotional bond to the organisation that employs them (Robinson), which results in higher retention levels and productivity levels and lower absenteeism. When reliably measured, positive employee engagement can be causally related or correlated to specific positive business outcomes by workgroup and job type. Scarlett Surveys refers to these statistical relationships as engageonomics.

Emotional attachment[edit]
Only 31% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. These employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. People that are actively engaged help move the organization forward. 88% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact quality of their [6] organization's products, compared with only 38% of the disengaged. 72% of highly engaged employees [citation needed] believe they can positively affect customer service, versus 27% of the disengaged. 68% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact costs in their job or unit, compared with just [4] 19% of the disengaged. Engaged employees feel a strong emotional bond to the organization that [7] employs them. This is associated with people demonstrating a willingness to recommend the [8] organization to others and commit time and effort to help the organization succeed. It suggests that
[5]

people are motivated by intrinsic factors (e.g. personal growth, working to a common purpose, being part [9] of a larger process) rather than simply focusing on extrinsic factors (e.g., pay/reward).

Involvement[edit]
Eileen Appelbaum and her colleagues (2000) studied 15 steel mills, 17 apparel manufacturers, and 10 electronic instrument and imaging equipment producers. Their purpose was to compare traditional production systems with flexible high-performance production systems involving teams, training, and incentive pay systems. In all three industries, the plants utilizing high-involvement practices showed superior performance. In addition, workers in the high-involvement plants showed more positive attitudes, [7] including trust, organizational commitment and intrinsic enjoyment of the work. The concept has gained popularity as various studies have demonstrated links with productivity. It is often linked to the notion of [10] employee voice and empowerment.

Commitment[edit]
It has been routinely found that employee engagement scores account for as much as half of the variance in customer satisfaction scores. This translates into millions of dollars for companies if they can improve their scores. Studies have statistically demonstrated that engaged employees are more productive, more profitable, more customer-focused, safer, and less likely to leave their employer. Employees with the highest level of commitment perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave the [11] organization, which indicates that engagement is linked to organizational performance. For example, at the beverage company of MolsonCoors, it was found that engaged employees were five times less likely than non-engaged employees to have a safety incident and seven times less likely to have a lost-time safety incident. In fact, the average cost of a safety incident for an engaged employee was $63, compared with an average of $392 for a non-engaged employee. Consequently, through strengthening employee engagement, the company saved $1,721,760 in safety costs in 2002. In addition, savings were found in sales performance teams through engagement. In 2005, for example, low-engagement teams were seen falling behind engaged teams, with a difference in performance-related costs of low- versus high-engagement teams totaling $2,104,823.3 (Lockwood).

Life insurance industry[edit]

Two studies of employees in the life insurance industry examined the impact of employee perceptions that they had the power to make decisions, sufficient knowledge and information to do the job effectively, and rewards for high performance. Both studies included large samples of employees (3,570 employees in 49 organizations and 4,828 employees in 92 organizations). In both studies, high-involvement management practices were positively associated with employee morale, employee retention, and firm [7] financial performance. Watson Wyatt found that high-commitment organizations (one with loyal and dedicated employees) out-performed those with low commitment by 47% in the 2000 study and by 200% [12] in the 2002 study.

Productivity[edit]
In a study of professional service firms, the Hay Group found that offices with engaged employees were [13] [14] up to 43% more productive. Job satisfaction is also linked to productivity. The most striking finding is the almost 52% gaps in operating incomes between companies with highly engaged employees and companies whose employees have low-engagement scores. Highengagement companies improved 19.2% while low-engagement companies declined 32.7% in operating
[citation needed]

income during the study period . For example, New Century Financial Corporation, a U.S. specialty mortgage banking company, found that account executives in the wholesale division who were actively disengaged produced 28% less revenue than their colleagues who were engaged. Furthermore, those not engaged generated 23% less revenue than their engaged counterparts. Engaged employees [4] also outperformed the not engaged and actively disengaged employees in other divisions. ...

[citation needed]

Generating engagement[edit]
Commitment theories are rather based on creating conditions, under which the employee will feel compelled to work for an organization, whereas engagement theories aim to bring about a situation in which the employee by free choice has an intrinsic desire to work in the best interests of the [15] organization. Recent research has focused on developing a better understanding of how variables such as quality of work relationships and values of the organization interact, and their link to important work [16] outcomes. 84% of highly engaged employees believe they can positively impact the quality of their [4] organization's products, compared with only 31 percent of the disengaged. From the perspective of the employee, "outcomes" range from strong commitment to the isolation of oneself from the [17] organization. The study done by the Gallup Management Journal has shown that only 29% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. Those "engaged" employees work with passion and feel a strong connection to their company. About of the business units scoring above the median on [7] employee engagement also scored above the median on performance. Moreover, 54% of employees are not engaged meaning that they go through each workday putting time but no passion into their work. Only about of companies below the median on employee engagement scored above the median on [7] performance. Access to a reliable model enables organizations to conduct validation studies to establish the relationship of employee engagement to productivity/performance and other measures linked to [16] effectiveness. It is an important principle of industrial and organizational psychology (i.e. the application of psychological theories, research methods, and intervention strategies involving workplace issues) that validation studies should be anchored in reliable scales (i.e. organized and related groups of items) and not simply focus on individual elements in isolation. To understand how high levels of employee engagement affect organizational performance/productivity it is important to have an a priori model that demonstrates how [18] the scales interact. There is also overlap between this concept and those relating to well-being at work and the psychological [7] contract. Research by Gallup Consulting has shown a strong correlation between the degree of wellbeing of an individual and the extent to which they are engaged as an employee - high well-being yields high engagement. A well and engaged employee is likely to have less sick days, lowering the cost of lost productivity to their organization, and come to work energized and focused. A well and engaged employee is efficient and effective and a valuable asset in the workplace. As employee productivity is clearly connected with employee engagement, creating an environment that encourages employee engagement is considered to be essential in the effective management of human [17] capital.

Drivers of engagement[edit]
While it is possible to measure engagement itself through employee surveys, this does not assist in identifying areas for improvement within organisations. There are a range of factors, known as drivers, that are thought to increase overall engagement. By managing the drivers, an organisation can effectively manage engagement levels of its employees. Drivers such as communication, performance clarity and feedback, organisational culture, rewards and recognition, relationships with managers and peers, career development opportunities and knowledge of the organisation's goals and vision are some of the factors that facilitate employee engagement. Some points from the research are presented below: * Employee perceptions of job importance - "...an employee's attitude toward the job's importance and the company had the greatest impact on loyalty and customer servicethan all other employee factors [4] combined." * Employee clarity of job expectations - "If expectations are not clear and basic materials and equipment are not provided, negative emotions such as boredom or resentment may result, and the employee may then become focused on surviving more than thinking about how he can help the [8] organization succeed." * Career advancement/improvement opportunities - "Plant supervisors and managers indicated that many plant improvements were being made outside the suggestion system, where employees initiated [18] changes in order to reap the bonuses generated by the subsequent cost savings." * Regular feedback and dialogue with superiors - "Feedback is the key to giving employees a sense of [8] where theyre going, but many organizations are remarkably bad at giving it." "'What I really wanted to [13] hear was 'Thanks. You did a good job.' But all my boss did was hand me a check.'" * Quality of working relationships with peers, superiors, and subordinates - "...if employees' relationship with their managers is fractured, then no amount of perks will persuade the employees to perform at top levels. Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel about their [17] relationship with the boss." * Perceptions of the ethos and values of the organization - "'Inspiration and values' is the most important of the six drivers in our Engaged Performance model. Inspirational leadership is the ultimate perk. In its absence, [it] is unlikely to engage employees."/> * Effective Internal Employee Communications - which convey a clear description of "what's going on". "'If you accept that employees want to be involved in what they are doing then this trend is clear (from small businesses to large global organisations). The effect of poor internal communications is seen as its most destructive in global organisations which suffer from employee annexation - where the head office in one country is buoyant (since they are closest to the action, know what is going on, and are heavily engaged) but its annexes (who are furthest away from the action and know little about what is happening) are dis-engaged. In the worst case, employee annexation can be very destructive when the head office attributes the annex's low engagement to its poor performance when its poor performance is really due to its poor communications. * Reward to engage - Look at employee benefits and acknowledge the role of incentives. "An incentive to reward good work is a tried and test way of boosting staff morale and enhancing engagement." There are a range of tactics you can employ to ensure your incentive scheme hits the mark with your workforce

such as: Setting realistic targets, selecting the right rewards for your incentive programme, communicating the scheme effectively and frequently, have lots of winners and reward all achievers, [19] encouraging sustained effort, present awards publicly and evaluate the incentive scheme regularly. It further tends to improve the overall productivity.

Drivers of disengagement[edit]

Primary drivers of employee disenagement

The drivers of employee disengagement are not all the same as the drivers of engagement. In a statistical [20] analysis of employee engagement and disengagement across 150 organizations, CustomInsight found that the most common drivers of disengagement include: Problems with direct supervisors (poor employee-manager relationships) account for 49% of disengaged employees. This finding is specific to disengaged employees. Good employee-manager relationships are usually a prerequisite for engagement but not something that leads to higher levels of engagement. Lack of respect for or confidence in senior leadership, lack of organization direction (strategic alignment), poor performance and quality standards, and related topics account for 33% of disengaged employees. These areas are drivers of engagement as well - things that drive engagement as well as disengagement. Basic Needs compensation, workplace conditions, and related topics account for the remaining 18% of disengaged employees. If basic needs are not being met, employees are disengaged, but once those needs are met, these things do not drive higher levels of employee engagement.

Primary drivers of employee disenagement - breakdown of causes related to managers

Breakdown - Types of Manager Disengagement Among the 49% of employees whose disengagement is related to their managers, CustomInsight [21] identified four distinct clusters i.e. the most common scenarios., 11% of disengaged employees rated their managers low, but still gave (relatively) high marks to senior leadership and the organization as a whole. In other words, these employees are specifically disengaged with their managers, but they distinguish this from how they feel about the organization overall. The problems employees in this group have with their managers are broad-based, indicating employee-manager relationships that are generally dysfunctional or toxic. 15% are disengaged with their managers due to poor accountability, communication, direction, and feedback. These are managers who are not communicating expectations and direction, helping employees set goals, or holding people accountable. 12% are disengaged with their managers due to a lack of recognition, teamwork, and personal expression. These are managers who are not building relationships and supporting the emotional or interpersonal needs of their employees. 11% are disengaged with their managers due to a lack of autonomy, fairness, and personal expression. These employees gave their managers (relatively) high marks for accountability, meaning these managers are doing a good job of driving and enforcing, but they are failing to give their employees enough respect and freedom.

Potential red flags[edit]

Inappropriate use of Benchmark Data - some of the more well established Employee Engagement survey companies will state that the most important part of post survey follow up is related to comparison of internal survey data to numerous external benchmarks. This seems to have rubbed off onto internal sponsors who demand very specific benchmarks. Whilst some research analysts claim that the standard comparisons by industry sector are flawed others disagree. Is it right to compare a Bentley employee to one from Vauxhall (GM) because they are in the same automotive sector? The alternative argument is that both organisations would likely draw from similar worker pools and would

as such wish to better understand expectations of workers in that industry and how they compare to competing employers. A focus on data gathering rather than taking action may also damage engagement efforts. Organizations that survey their workforce without acting on the feedback appear to negatively impact [5] engagement scores. According to the Conference Board and other recent studies, employee engagement has deteriorated significantly in the US and the UK over the last five years. Measuring and managing the wrong or incomplete set of engagement drivers is partly if not mostly to blame. Rigorous engagement measurement encompasses 15 attitudinal drivers formed by employee experiences. <reference ScarlettSurveys>

Initiatives[edit]
Some of the initiatives commonly undertaken by HR departments towards employee engagement are:
[22]

On-boarding: When an employee joins the organisation s/he needs to be exposed to the organisations policies and culture. There may be some fresh out of campuses that need to know the basics of communication skills and job related skills. During the induction programme itself, they can be given an exposure about these aspects, skills sets and the expectations. The on-boarding event experience itself leaves a mark on the minds of the new recruits about the companys desire to enhance their skills. Learning and development events: When business practices and processes are changing. In this environment, there is an acute necessity for enhancing the skill levels of employees already discharging various functions.

Engagement levels[edit]
Organisations that believe in increasing employee engagement levels concentrate on the following [23] levels: Culture: It consists of a foundation of leadership, vision, values, effective communication, a strategic plan and HR policies that are focussed on the employee. Commitment - It is the foundation of engagement. Employees with high level of organisational commitment are willing to exert considerable effort for the organisation and make discretionary contributions. Cooperation: It encompasses positive relationship among employees within a group. It is the inherent willingness of individuals working in a team to pull in the same direction and achieve organisational goals. Taking responsibility: Taking initiative and responsibility to become a part of the solutions is an important ingredient of engagement. For an employee to display loyalty towards his organisation, the first thing he needs to do is to take responsibility. Taking responsibility refer to feeling empowered. Employees who feel empowered have a sense of belonging and excitement about their jobs, they feel engaged at an emotional level and are willing to give their best all the time.

Top 10 Employee Engagement Strategies

What companies offer the top 10 employment engagement strategies? I listed a few firms showcasing employees who shine and take a different approach towards internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. While we appreciate what companies, from large multinationals to smaller local companies, do for the environment and local communities, a successful company is one with a motivated workforce and hence allows doing good to cascade throughout the communities in which they conduct business. Drum roll, please! In alphabetical order, here are some companies from which other firms could learn about how to inspire, motivate and retain talent. These companies show the S in CSR starts with their employees. AMD: Organizing green teams to root out waste and inefficiencies is a start. Listen to employees insighton how they think the semiconductor manufacturing company is performing. Team up with other companies and non-profits to do good in communities and allow employees to network in the meantime. AMD does all of the above and ties sustainability to leadership. Clif Bar & Company: Can a company grow stratospherically year after year yet embed socially responsible business practices into all facets of its business? The maker of Clif Bars gives an obvious and clear answer: YES. Plus giving every employee a bicycle for the companys 20th anniversary? That seals a slot on this list. Hopefully they were not all the same color, although a monochrome-colored bicycle rack would look sweet. Intel: Long a CSR leader and sustainability report issuer, Intel has tied bonuses to the companyssustainability performance. Both top executives and individual contributors have part of their bonuses tied to energy efficiency performance and greenhouse gas emissions. (Years ago when I was in sales, I brought marketing collateral to a meeting at Intels Santa Clara office and was upbraided for tainting their paperless officethis was before most of us had ever heard of the word paperless). Kimberly-Clark: One company that melds embedding sustainability throughout its business while motivating employees is the maker of Kleenex and Huggies. MIT researchers described the companys culture of innovation as a bottom-up/top-down approach towards improving products performance while reducing their environmental impact. Hunter Lovins notes the companys encouragement of outof-the-box ideas that can score top employees trips with partner NGOs on various international projects. KT Telecom: Companies are stepping all over themselves proving how focused they are on developing programs for youth. On one hand its understandable, considering the youth unemployment problem festering worldwide. But what about people over the age of 50, or even over 40 who many HR professionals deem unworthy of employment? Across the Pacific in Korea, KT Telecom will hire over 1,000 retirees (or forced retirees) to train them on a variety of technology issues from web etiquette to online copyright. Valuing and trusting experienced professionals to share their knowledge and wisdom with youthnot to mention the chance at a second career? That is a win-win situation for KT. More companies worldwide ought to take note. Marks & Spencer: Few retailers can match the efforts venerable M&S has invested in making its products and stores more environmentally and socially responsible. But because there is no plan B, the British department store chains Plan A inspires its employees to think sustainably not just in the corporate office or within one of its stores, but at home. The company encourages all staff to share ideas

about sustainability, and also offered employees a free energy monitor and home insulation. Each store has a Plan A champion, some of whom have moved onto a management training program. The lesson is simple: if you want to encourage your customers to reduce waste and energy and change their everyday thinking, it is best to start with your workforce. Mercadona: Whats the best way to engage employees? Well, you have to hire them first. Spain -based Mercadona bucks the global retail trend of keeping head count low at stores. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company invests about $6,500 and four weeks of training into each newly hired employee plus an additional 20 hours annually thereafter. Workers also have opportunities to score bonuses and the company pays higher than other retailers. While Spains unemployment is mired above 20 percent, Mercadona keeps adding head count. And while other European retailers have lagged in sales, Mercadona thrives. Happy and confident employees in turn make for a pleasant shopping experience. American retailers, are you listening? SAP: Volunteering boosts the morale of employees and communities, and companies are doing an excellent job tallying the amount of hours their employees work with non-profits, schools and community groups. SAP goes beyond that with a competitive sabbatical program that sends its most promising employees to remote communities in Brazil, India and South Africa to advise local NGOs. For a few weeks, these professionals consult on anything from information technology to communications to business model innovation. SAP employees in turn gain new skills and networking opportunities. Social Strata: Not all companies are miserly with their paid time off (PTO, one of the worst HR acronyms ever) policies. When Rosemary ONeill announced her social media advisory Social Strata would offer its employeesunlimited paid leave three years ago, blogs all over the map were chattering about the possibility of managers actually having faith in their employees to set their own schedules. At last check, ONeill is still satisfied with her decision. With a close friend of mine having to take vacation time and then even a cut in her paycheck because of recent bereavements, companies (Netflix is another) with unlimited PTO define engagement in one word: trust. Vodafone: Unless Im missing something, Vodafone seems to have a CSR agenda tailored to just about every country in which the company does business. Vodafones World of Difference program is similar to SAPs program, only it is more extensive. CSR in India scores a boost from Vodafones current class of employees who are working in some of the countrys most challenged communities. And judging by the data, the affinity Vodafones workers have for their company is improving.

Why Employee Engagement Is Not Just The Job Of Management

A productive constructive mindset What exactly does it mean to be mindful of engagement? It means consciously bringing your emotional A game and approaching all circumstances especially difficult ones with a

productive constructive mindset. To help cultivate this, Kruse suggests training your engagement instincts by asking yourself 5 Daily Engagement Questions.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What did I do today to improve communication with my manager and peers? What actions did I take today to learn and grow? Whom did I thank today, and who recognized me? Was I mindful today of our companys long-term goals? Today, how engaged was I at work?

Many managers may feel: Of course all employees already should be engaged and doing this. Well, that may be theoretically true but the reality is management is a very challenging job and many managers are untrained and ineffective, and vast numbers of employees emotionally checked out a long time ago. Were I still in management in the corporate world, I would have given all of my direct reports these five questions, a gentle reminder that the path to employee engagement, like most large and well-traveled streets, runs both ways.

Based on research into the links between employee behaviours and business performance, the Aon Hewitt engagement model is highly correlated with a range of business metrics including customer satisfaction. Individual employees are considered to be 'engaged' when they display the following three engagement behaviours: Say: speak positively about the organisation to others inside and out Stay: display an intense desire to be a member of the organisation Strive: exert extra effort and engage in behaviours that contribute to business success Our survey design and reporting outputs will highlight the key drivers of engagement in your organisation. This will allow you to identify the paths to enhanced engagement levels in your organisation, so that you can focus your resources on the aspects of the working experience which will make the biggest difference to employees.

Additionally, measuring employee engagement with Aon Hewitt will enable you to answer the following questions:

Which elements of the day-to-day work experience have the largest influence on employee engagement? How can we differentiate ourselves and enhance our employer brand? How can we improve growth and profitability through our employees? How can we improve employee retention and/or reduce employee turnover and save costs? How do the drivers of engagement differ for our top talent? What should be on our people agenda during the next business planning cycle? Which actions are best addressed as corporate-wide initiatives and which at a more localised level?

Examples of Best Practices in Employee Engagement

Levels of employee engagement can make or break a business. Properly engaged workers not only understand the goals of a company, but also their personal roles in helping to achieve those goals. Generally, they are happier, better motivated and more productive than their counterparts. Disengaged employees, however, are normally less enthusiastic, have low morale and can bring down otherwise engaged coworkers. By increasing engagement levels, managers can influence their business's worker retention and bottom line.
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Create a Culture of Engagement

The case for employee engagement has to begin at the top. Company leaders and managers should create working environments that support fully engaged employees and set the tone for high morale. According to the Northeast Human Resources Association, the five most important drivers of a culture of engagement are two-way feedback between managers and subordinates, trust in leadership, career development, employees understanding their personal roles in the success of the company and shared decision making. By focusing on these factors, managers can create work environments that automatically foster employee engagement on a daily basis.

Discuss Engagement
Proper and frequent communication with employees is imperative in increasing engagement. Managers should be sure subordinates understand the business's overall strategy and their roles in achieving goals. Discussions should also cover how employees feel about their jobs. According to Right Management, a leading career management consulting firm and subsidiary of Manpower Group, "By measuring employee satisfaction, commitment to the organization, pride and advocacy, you will have an accurate assessment of an employee's commitment and contribution to the success of the organization."

Promote Health and Well-Being

According to Deborah Schroeder-Saulnier, D.Mgt. and senior vice president for Right Management's Global Solutions Team, "The best performing organizations tend to promote wellness more than below-average performers do because wellness drives performance." Schroeder-Saulnier argues that both retention and employee engagement can be increased if leaders focus on initiatives that drive feelings of health and well-being among employees. Actions such as encouraging an appropriate work-life balance, supporting the local community and investing in employees' learning and development are key drivers of well-being.

Reduce Stress
According to The Human Performance Institute, "Personal energy is the most critical resource we have as human beings, and when reserves are chronically depleted, an inevitable outcome is disengagement." Furthermore, the institute argues, an employee's willingness to invest his limited energy can be up to 50 percent lower among highly disengaged workers. By promoting stress reduction techniques among the workforce, employers can help ensure energy levels and productivity are high and engagement remains a top priority.

7 low cost, high impact employee engagement ideas

Its been estimated that unengaged employees cost the US economy over $350 billion a year. As jaw-dropping as that number is, the great news is, that its relatively easy to fix and unlike many business mistakes, this one doesnt have to cost a lot. If you own a restaurant who has direct impact on your diners returning? Who influences whether a customer returns to a retail store to purchase again? What impacts whether or not your clients recommend your business to their friends? Or worse, they go on Twitter or Facebook and share a nightmare experience with their social network? Your employees! 7 tips for engaging hourly staff: 1. Flexibility According to the National Study of the Changing Workforce, 87% of employees report that having workplace flexibility would be extremely or very important if they were looking for a new job. Both the retail and hospitality industries rely heavily on part-time employees who often have other activities (school, another job, sports, etc.) packed into their busy days. Flexibility at their workplace allows them to live fulfilling lives outside their place of employment resulting in a happier workforce.

2. Transparency At the end of the day, trust equals loyalty. Loyal employees have a great deal more value and are generally more engaged. The best way to build trust, loyalty and thus engage employees is through transparency. Giving your employees insight into decision making and the state of your business makes them feel included and important. A little can go along way. 3. Leverage technology Social websites and other communication advances are so popular because they make life easier. Its much easier to send an email or a text than picking up the phone to make a call. Facebook keeps everyone in your life up to date with minimal effort on your part. Making use of technology can help make the lives of your employees easier. Whether its scheduling withShifthub, using a project management tool like BaseCamp or transferring product Knowledge using DropBox or Google Drive, these products can make your employees lives much easier. 4. Give consistent feedback Consistent feedback goes a long way with employees for several reasons: - lets them know where they stand within the company - acts as a reminder of whats expected of them, especially if theyre not meeting expectations - a great opportunity for you to give them any positive feedback - gives you insight into the employee perspective Schedule regular, one-on-one meetings with your staff and invite them to provide you with feedback and tell you what they believe they bring to the team. Then, in turn, you can give them feedback to help guide them through the next few months. 5. Recognition Time and time again, reports shows that employees who are recognized, even in the simplest form (a personal thank you) are more engaged and thus more valuable employees. Have a server of the month reward, jean salesperson of the quarter, yes is the answer, what is your question service award, etc. Get your employees involved and make sure

everyone is aware of the rewards and benefits of participating. This is an opportunity for them to have a little fun while getting recognized for a job well done. 6. Celebrate the small wins Both restaurateurs and retailers go through ups and downs throughout the year. So, in order to keep morale high, celebrate the small wins. Overtime, it will help loyalty amongst your employees, especially when times might be tough. Did you get an awesome write up on a blog? Did you win a local award? Did you receive positive customer feedback regarding one of your employees? Be sure to keep your staff informed and up to date with any news surrounding your business. 7. Be available, be empathetic Creating a positive work environment will not only engage your employees, but will also make them feel more comfortable with you. Implementing the above suggestions will help you gain their trust and loyalty. To further this, its important that youre available to listen and empathetic to their varying situations. Life happens, you need to be ready to deal with forgotten school assignments, sick workers and family emergencies. Being empathetic will give your employees reason to be honest and forthcoming, which allows you to more easily deal with what life throws at you. How do you increase engagement among your employees? What positive effects have you seen?

Top Ten Ideas for Employee Engagement

Employee engagement metrics measure the percentage of employees dissatisfied and satisfied with their jobs. A business with low levels of employee engagement will experience low retention rates and decreased productivity. Since a study by the Saratoga Institute reported that the average business pays 150 to 200 percent of a workers salary to replace him, business owners will increase their profit margins if they increase levels of employee satisfaction.
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Planning
Management best practices involve hiring the right employee for the right job so that employees remain content with their work and employer. Businesses should keep their job descriptions realistic and have an orientation program that thoroughly familiarizes employees with the workplace and their job roles and responsibilities.

Survey
A business should hire a professional consulting company to issue surveys to employees before making improvements to increase employee engagement. While a business owner can create surveys himself, a specialized consulting company experienced in increasing engagement can suggest areas of improvement to the business owner after analyzing survey results.

Flexibility
Businesses with employees who take care of dependents should provide them with flextime or a compressed workweek and generous leave benefits to increase engagement, according to the Families and Work Institute. Flextime allows employees to modify the hours they work and a compressed workweek allows them to accomplish weekly work in four days instead of five.

Trust
Employers should provide openness and transparency when dealing with workers, even when they have to disclose bad news such as reduced hours. Employees trust executives who live by example, so business owners should hold themselves to the same standard of conduct as they do their employees.

Compensation
Employees expect fair compensation for their work and business owners should provide producing employees with bonuses. This compensation should also include pay increases and better positions for employees who consistently exceed expectations. Employers should offer compensation that involves employees in the future of the company, such as offering stock options and profit sharing.

Games
Business owners should work competitions into their business models to engage employees. Splitting employees into groups and keeping score of their accomplishments breaks up the monotony of work, gives them focus and increases productivity. Social recognition of employee victories further develops engagement.

Recreation
Employees appreciate recreational activities their employer offers, such as a company barbeque and volunteer activities in which management and business owners participate. These activities allow management to form a personal bond with employees, which increases the emotional satisfaction of their workers.

Top 10 questions for employee engagement surveys

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Employee surveys may range from annual "epics" to monthly pulse surveys, but there is no one-sizefits-all version. Your organization's culture, employee profile, leadership approach and even geographical location will dictate the format and content. However, we asked our Members to discuss and vote on their "ultimate" engagement survey questions those that would elicit the most useful responses from employees and help shape future messages and communication strategy. The top 10 questions as a result of that vote are listed in the box below and, to add further insight, we asked Angela Sinickas, one of the world's leading authorities on measuring organizational comms, for her analysis.

Questions to ask in focus groups first

It's very difficult to analyze trends, or improvements over time, from analysis of open-ended write-in comments on surveys. I'd recommend that the following (reworded) questions be asked first in focus groups to identify the most common responses, so they can be used to craft questions that can be analyzed quantitatively (numbering refers to the original list): 1. How do you feel about coming to work each morning? 2. What things have your managers done over the years to inspire you? What have other managers done that were demotivating? 4. What words would you use to describe how you feel about coming to work?

The answers from Question 1 could be used to draft statements about how employees do feel. Then you could use a scale for those questions that asks them how often they feel each way, such

as "Almost all the time, Usually, About half the time, Sometimes, Almost never." Over time, you could track if the more positive feelings are being experienced a greater percentage of the time. Based on responses to Question 2, you could develop two questions about each inspirational behavior. First ask how often their own managers currently exhibit each behavior, using the same frequency scale above, and then ask how important for their own motivation each of the behaviors is on a three-point scale: "Very important, Somewhat important, or Not very important." The survey results could then be plotted on a grid that uses importance for one dimension and frequency on the other. This approach can be very helpful in prioritizing which manager behaviors are most important to change. The focus should start on the most important behaviors currently occurring at the lowest frequency. Question 4 could be used on the final survey just as it was phrased by the group, with the addition of a list of the words used in the focus groups for them to select their top five. An option for "other" could also be included.

Customized question formats

One of the questions would benefit from a unique scale of response options: 3. Which best describes the number of days you DO want to come into work versus the days you DON'T want to come into work?

Avoiding Yes-No questions

All of the other questions could be used nearly the same way as the group wrote them, with just one change. Instead of asking questions that can be answered by a "yes" or "no," results will be more enlightening if you write them as statements and then use a five-point scale to better see how strongly employees feel about each item. For most of these questions, a scale running from

"Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree" would work, although a frequency scale might be even more meaningful for some: 2. My immediate manager inspires me. 5. I feel proud to tell people where I work. 6. I have the tools I need to do my job effectively. 7. I have enough opportunities to contribute to decisions that affect me. 8. I understand how my role contributes to achieving business outcomes. 9. I trust the information I receive from my immediate manager. 10.My manager values the work I do.

Question 9 needs to include the source of information being rated as trustworthy because the levels of trust could vary for information received from their managers, senior leaders, the communication team, or their colleagues. Similarly, if Question 10 doesn't specify a level of management that is valuing their work, it could be interpreted to mean that they feel their compensation properly values them for their work. The more specific the questions, the more likely that management will interpret responses with the same meaning that employees had in mind when answering those questions.

Employee Engagement Strategies

Various studies have shown that actively engaged employees are almost 50 percent more productive than their not-engaged or disengag employee engagement cannot be improved only by designing and implementing effective human resource strategies but their involveme output produced by them also depends on their relationships with their colleagues, subordinates and seniors. It is a basic need of human to be belonged. Such collaborations can be a major contributor to the success of a company.

Until recently, solutions facilitating two-way communication including top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top were given much important but not foster the open communication and collaborations among employees. The way they interact with each other determines the health of an perfect balance of respect, care and competitiveness should be prevailed in the organisation to keep them actively engaged in their jobs healthy relationships contribute majorly to the organisations success.

Besides this, empowering employees by delegating them responsibilities and giving them autonomy to take decisions regarding their job on their own can also increase their productivity. It is worth going beyond the traditional management tools of connectivity to help employees remain motivated and dedicated to perform their tasks. To achieve this, the organisations can design effective employee engagement strategies on the basis of the model explained below.

1. Unify the Experiences: Conduct an employee engagement survey in order to find the factors responsible for engaging and disengaging employees. Unify the common experiences and problems and design employee engagement strategies accordingly. Sharing of feedback in written is one way of communicating the experiences and problems. 2. Evolving Through Open Communication: Open communication or face to face communication in the form of discussions can really help in bringing the various issues and identifying the main problems in the organisation. It is very essential to establish a proper communication where everyone can put their views and suggest a solution too. Most of the top organisations ask for suggestions and new ideas from their employees and then offer rewards on giving the best proposal. 3. Providing Proper Communication Channels: Some employees are comfortable with open face-to-face communication styles whereas there are some who want to give feedbacks and suggestions in written. Discovering the best channel of communication and establishing a proper route to share feedbacks and views plays a vital role. 4. Enabling Conversation Fluidity: Whichever way of communication you choose, ensure that it has required fluidity. There should not be any hindrance in the established method of communication. Not being able to provide feedback or share problems and experiences can lead to frustration and distress among employees. Therefore, ensure that there are no barriers to communication. This can also result in disengaging the engaged employees. 5. Manage Communication: Managing communication is the last but the most important step in the entire process. Managers should keep a check on the entire process in order to ensure that it is not adversely affecting the health of the organisation. They must make sure that it serves the desired purpose and is not being used negatively.