When talking about engagement at work, it is almost always related to productivity whether you work as an accountant, a designer, or a do my paper writer. This is because productivity suffers when your staff is disengaged and unmotivated.
The good news is that raising engagement levels among your staff is one of the best and fastest ways to increase productivity.
Harvard research for 2022 showed that nearly 6 in 10 (57%) of workers are disengaged; worse, more than a quarter (26%) are actively disengaged or emotionally disconnected from their workplaces.
Low employee engagement is generated when your employees are dissatisfied with working conditions or salaries; no doubt, the incorporation of bonuses or better salaries will raise the spirits of your employees. However, it is also important that staff feel valued, trust their leaders, and have career progression and development opportunities.
If companies could address some of these issues, production per employee would increase by a large percentage, which would most benefit the bottom line.
What does an engaged employee bring to the table?
Employee engagement affects the entire company. When your employees are engaged, they are more likely to be active in producing quality work and contributing positively to the business. Also, maintaining lower stress levels leads to better health and well-being; this invites them to actively participate in finding solutions to problems.
According to one study, companies whose employees felt engaged and at ease with their work reported 70% fewer safety incidents compared to organizations where staff felt disengaged in their work, so they stayed on the job – a plus!
Measuring engagement
The most popular and easiest method of measuring engagement is by conducting employee surveys.
Companies often use these annually, but it is also important to conduct shorter “pulse surveys” to get employee opinions on changes within the company or views on the team and its leaders.
Longer surveys consist of questions based on leadership, strategy, and benefits. These can produce results that influence long-term decisions throughout the company.
Harvard test has come up with a set of 12 key questions that will help you measure employee engagement, which you can tailor to fit your company’s needs.
Some of the questions you can include are:
- Do I have the tools I need to perform my tasks?
- Do I consider myself an important part of the company?
- Is there someone who encourages my development?
- Do I have opportunities to grow and learn?
- Have I received recognition for my work in the last seven days?
The key to measuring employee engagement is good communication. Ensure transparency among staff and allow them to participate in the decision-making process to make them feel involved in the company’s processes.
Employee engagement may be regularly measured through social networks, focus groups, and the implementation of a system that fosters feedback.
Productivity
Once you have a handle on employee engagement, productivity levels will rise, so here are some ways you can measure it:
Find out what employees are saying
What do the staff say? Listening to employees is a wonderful approach to gauge productivity. There is no better way than to find out directly what makes them most productive and if there are any issues that might be limiting their output.
Communication is a key
Poor communication can affect productivity in many ways, leaving companies at a loss due to costly misunderstandings or misinformation.
So use employee feedback to help increase your productivity. Use tools like the Internet and social media to find out what they are saying (without falling foul of harassment) or try more official channels like regular employee reviews. A mix of both will yield good results.
The better you communicate with staff, the more engaged and productive they will be.
Customer feedback
Finally, productivity measurement should also include customer feedback and, of course, customer retention. Happy customers are the best measure of how well the work is getting done.
Remember, you are not surrounded by tasks – you are surrounded by people!
