The Benefits of an Engaged Workforce

Most major companies today enjoy talking about having an engaged workforce, but unfortunately, many are not even sure about what that is. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because employee engagement is a very broad topic which overlaps with a whole host of other issues that revolve around personnel and company development. As such, different organizations will have different definitions on what employee engagement really is. So before we can discuss the benefits of having an engaged workforce, it’s important that we first define the topic that we’re talking about. Broadly speaking, employee engagement is the the process by which an organization improves its relationship with its employees. Furthermore, an engaged employee is someone is fully enthusiastic about the work that they’re doing, and generally feels that they have a large stake in the organization. They are also more inclined to promote the organizations interests in their daily lives and may even recommend its services to people they know. In other words, a company or organization that has a high degree of employee engagement has a much higher level of cohesion and employee performance than those groups that don’t. Companies which invest heavily in employee engagement can also expect higher levels of employee trust and loyalty from their personnel and members. Furthermore, employee engagement is expected to increase company morale and loyalty by giving them a rewarding niche in the company, and by making sure that any discontent that they might have about their roles or occupations are quickly resolved by their superiors.

Engaged Workforce Defined

Aside from this rather broad definition, it’s also worth mentioning that experts in the field identify 4 different variations of employee engagement. These variations include:  Needs Satisfaction: This type of employee engagement treats the engagement process as the expression of each employee’s preferred tasks. Burnout Antithesis: In this approach, the focus is on the energy, efficiency and involvement of the employee, and presents them as opposite qualities of exhaustion, cynicism and feelings of failure. Satisfaction Engagement: In this approach, the focus is on each person’s job satisfaction. The Multidimensional Approach: This method for employee engagement makes a clear distinction between job and organizational engagement. It also focuses on each personnel’s role, and how relates it to the wider needs of the organization. It’s important to remember that these different methods of employee engagement are designed to achieve the same goal, and that is to make sure that each worker or employee are fully satisfied with the work that they’re doing in the company. What Are The Goals of Employee Engagement?  Employee engagement generally has a lot of goals, but if they need to be summarized then they can include these three items:

• Involvement
•  Commitment
•  Productivity

It’s true that these are not the only goals of employee engagement, and different companies and organizations have different goals when it comes to engaging their personnel. However, involvement, commitment and productivity are the least common denominators for companies which have a very strong focus on employee engagement. They are the most basic goals, and they offer the most important rewards for organizations which are truly concerned about the opinions and performance of their members, personnel and employees. What Are The Benefits of Having An Engaged Workforce?  So going back to our original question, what are the benefits of having an engaged workforce? Based on the information discussed thus far, here are several examples of what an engaged workforce can offer to an organization: Employees Develop A Deeper Understanding of Their Job’s Importance – Employees who understand the importance of their jobs are more likely to work efficiently than those who regard their job as something less than relevant. It also helps promote innovation. Career Advancement – The possibility of career advancement works as an incentive for more talented employees, and inspires them to take a more active role in improving the organization as well as their own output. Employees Develop A Clear Understanding of Job Expectations – Personnel who do not understand their jobs clearly may become resentful or even bored with their jobs. When this happens, they become less interested in doing a good job and more about keeping their position safe, while doing the least amount of work possible. Better Access to Superiors and the Chance to Offer Feedback on Company Policies – Feedback allows employees to interact with their superiors on their own terms. It also allows personnel to voice any concerns that they may have about their work and position in the company. Improved Working Relationships Between Different Levels of the Company – An engaged workforce usually feels very positive about their relationship with their superiors or their boss. In this sense, employee engagement helps promote trust and camaraderie between different levels in a hierarchy. An Appreciation for the Values and Goals of the Organization – Employees who appreciate the values and goals of their organization are more likely to understand its long term goals. They are also more likely to understand the implications of certain major decisions in their organization, and adapt accordingly. Effective Communications Between Personnel – Personnel have a much easier time communicating their concerns and suggestions with each other. Needless to say, personnel who are more open about their opinions tend to be more involved when it comes to decision making, which in turn leads to more employee participation in other areas. Company Incentives Become More Effective – An engaged workforce is generally more responsive to company incentives. Furthermore, they are also more open about their opinions with regards such incentives, and the type of rewards that they would like to receive in the future. Conclusion Although employee engagement brings offers a lot of benefits to an organization, it’s also important to remember that these benefits different organizations or companies differently. Different companies have different policies with regards to employee engagement mainly because they have different needs, so there’s no single way to do employee engagement. The best way to do employee engagement is to look at your organization and personnel’s needs. Once you’ve done that, you will be able to identify critical areas can best benefit from a more engaged workforce.