The human resources department, colloquially referred to as HR, should be at the center of a company’s efforts to improve employee engagement. Because companies are becoming more culture-focused, and many are gathering data on how engagement affects their bottom line, savvy human resources professionals are on the front lines developing ways to encourage employee engagement in their companies.
How can you do the same? By discovering and implementing the top drivers of engagement in your company and cultivating a culture that excels in those areas.
What Is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is key to a company’s long-term success, but it’s a little hard to define. Think of it as a sliding scale. On one end there’s employee burnout: exhaustion, irritability, absenteeism, and the mentality of just punching a time clock. On the other is employee engagement, when staff feels pumped to work on the next project, take ownership of their work, and actively pursue excellence.
You may hear the terms “employee engagement” and “employee satisfaction” used interchangeably, but satisfaction is just one byproduct of engagement. Engaged employees are often happier than disengaged staff, but they can also help your company see 4.5 times more revenue than companies with disengaged workers. That’s because engaged employees have more skin in the game: Company success is their success.
Therefore, one of HR’s role is to inspire employee engagement in order to drive success across the board.
How to Improve Employee Engagement
An HR professional can have a huge impact on engagement at your company. While it’s true that high engagement can happen at all levels — from interns and in-the-trenches employees to management and leadership — HR can help steer the ship and design programs that inspire employee dedication and pride.
Ana Recio, EVP of Global Recruiting for Salesforce, advises companies:
Treat employees as well as your customers. Empower them to create the best work of their lives by providing an incredible experience powered by tools