Sometimes it is just difficult to know where to start with a subject as complex as one that involves human beings and the human psyche, even when it comes to a definition. However, as a beginning point, I am going to lead with a simple definition.
Employee Engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and put discretionary effort into their work.
It is not the same as employee satisfaction. Employee satisfaction only indicates how happy or content employees are. It does not address their level of motivation, involvement, emotional commitment or overall personal fulfillment. For some employees, being satisfied means collecting a paycheck while doing as little work as possible.
When organizations focus on making changes based on employee satisfaction alone, these changes won’t necessarily lead to increased performance. This is one reason why one-off initiatives to improve engagement are many times not sustainable and often don’t work. They are most often targeted at creating happiness in some targeted area, but they don’t focus on improving the nucleus, the organizational DNA. However, if a company is successful at changing its culture to one that creates trust and encourages engagement, those one-off targeted initiatives can be very complementary and reinforce the core culture because they are actions that are manifestations of the culture you are creating.
It is important to note also that those targeted initiatives which attempt to create conditions that satisfy employees, without having the right culture for engagement; oftentimes, are the same conditions that frustrate high performing employees. Top performers embrace change, search out ways to improve, and challenge the status quo; so targeted initiatives focused on making low performers more comfortable without an underlying culture of trust and accountability can backfire. Engaged, high-performing employees expect all employees to be held accountable for delivering results, whereas low performers avoid accountability, cling to the status quo, and resist change. The more disengaged employees an organization has, the more likely it is to have a spiraling down effect, with more and more engaged employees becoming disengaged or leaving the organization. I talked about this in more depth in a previous post - "Does Engagement Really Matter"?
Having said that, here is an actionable initiative worth considering to both engage your employees more fully in your culture and at the same time deepen your understanding of where they are in terms of organizational fit.
Actionable Item:
It’s the small things that can sometimes\ make a difference. I’m sure you have heard of the many little businesses that have popped up that work with groups of individuals on small personal art projects. In many cases they are just fun activities for groups of friends who have little art talent, but want to get together for a fun activity to relax and have a good time. Many times though they come out of the experience with a personal piece of art/sign of which they are very proud.
I would challenge you to use that same concept by dividing into teams, departments or some other small groups; with the goal of creating a piece of art (most of the time they are attractive signs, but if there is a lot of creativity in the group could end up being much more) that demonstrates their team culture, based on 2-3 commonly agreed values or ground rules. This can help nurture team synergy which is an essential part of improving engagement. It can also deepen their understanding of the company’s values and how they play out in their every-day work.
This can be a very fun activity if carried out enthusiastically from those organizing it, and it can be done in one longer sitting or broken up into 2 or 3 shorter time periods to give time for thought and added creativity.
Traits of an Engaged Employee
To explore the definition of engagement in greater detail, I think it is helpful to take a deeper look into the traits of an engaged employee. I have come to these perspectives over many years of watching, listening and talking with the many employees in the organizations where I have worked; and through substantial research and feedback from employees and leaders of the many organizations where I have had personal interaction. There are many surveys that measure engagement, and using them to get a gauge on the overall engagement level in an organization is a good idea. In fact, it is essential to establish a base line. In a previous post I provided some good questions that can be ask on an Engagement Survey. For me though, measuring the engagement of any given employee is best done through observation and by conducting personal assessments.
There are more traits than I will describe below, but the ones below most consistently rise to the top of the list in terms of increasing employee fulfillment and performance.
So, what are those traits?
1) How much work is done outside of normal work hours? Do you find employees who are routinely staying late or working on weekends, or are more of them watching the clock, waiting for the day to end? Voluntarily putting in the extra effort to do quality work is a good indicator that you or your employees are sincerely engaged and connected to the company vision. As is the case with anything good, if not managed properly, it can lead to burn-out or indicate that there is a feeling that it is required; both of which can lead to disengagement.
2) What is the percentage of ad-hoc activities/meetings employees attend versus mandatory meetings? Truly engaged employees have a connection to the mission of the business and feel a responsibility for its progress. The result is a genuine eagerness to be involved in the direction of the business and its people by being a shining example of a continuous learner.
3) Do they smile on Mondays? Are you familiar with that over-shared “It’s Monday again” image with sleepy, demotivated cartoons and animals suggesting a lack of mood and negative attitude. While some employees do this just to entertain the crowd, others turn into those characters in real life, carrying their dull look all day long and feeling down for no real reason. Engaged employees are quite easy to detect in such an environment – they will be smiling and carrying out their responsibilities with the same enthusiasm as usual, while trying to pass on their positive mood.
4) Do they bring their friends into the company? There are some employees who bring a new person into the organization because of financial incentives, but there are some that do it regardless of the reward. There is a difference between recommending an acquaintance and a friend. You wouldn’t recommend your place of work to a friend if you weren’t happy there. And, if the friend agrees to come, it means they heard good things about the company – no employee would talk nice things about their company in their circle of friends if they don’t really believe it.
5) They are masters at interactions both in and out of the office.
a. They have many connections with employees outside their immediate team. I have found it isn’t uncommon for employees to interact with employees who work in their immediate vicinity. However, I have noticed engaged employees tend to have networks that expand outside their own team to other areas of the business.
b. They are “socializing outside the office” starters. They feel comfortable sharing information that is not work related and it is easier for them to make friends among their work companions. They don’t see other colleagues as potential threats and enjoy their company even when their work responsibilities don’t ask for it. That is the reason why it’s natural for them to have initiatives about going out and socializing with other employees. And, they don’t mind talking about office matters either.
c. They spend time working with customers outside the normal scope of work? It has been said, “The true test of a person’s character is what they do when no one is watching.” The same applies for employee engagement. Employees that routinely go the extra mile to ensure that customers are happy without getting credit is a strong sign of high engagement. It is a quality that employees either have or they don’t, so it’s critical that managers hire smart and develop a culture that is customer obsessed.
6) They stay updated about everything concerning their company (directly and indirectly): reading internal reports and newsletters, reading the press about where competition stands and general news about the industry they perform in. This shows interest in more than just their day-to-day activities and dedicated managerial abilities, even if they’re present business position doesn’t necessarily ask for it. This is just one reason frequent, comprehensive and transparent communication is essential to increased employee engagement.
7) They easily adjust to new processes or suggestions. An engaged employee will always have a wider perspective on new processes or tools that the company decided to implement. They won’t try to argue these decisions and they will give an honest effort to make it work. They will be eager to test it and see it work. I want to make it clear though: an engaged employee is not an obedient person that tries to please everybody. They are happy employees that find it natural to get involved in all the companies processes and make that extra effort from their own initiative.
8) Mutual trust exists. Trust is the backbone of success in any organization regardless of how big or small it is. Letting employees do their jobs without telling them how to do it is one of the best ways to engage your staff. Employees welcome each other’s views and come up with a variety of ways and strategies to accomplish a particular task. A well-engaged workforce can perform its job with mutual help and trust, and needs very little direction at each step. They feel there is a culture of unity and belongingness toward the organization and make it the task of every employee to make an effort in solving any potential problem that might pose an obstacle in a business path to success.
9) Job and career satisfaction is present. Job and career fulfillment is one of the chief characteristics of an engaged employee. Employees who are satisfied with their career and the progress of their career opt to stick with a business for a significant period of time. This means continuity in productivity, as well as, customer satisfaction. Shifting organizations often is a characteristic of an unsatisfied employee. Additionally, energized employees try to work a little bit harder and smarter, and put a smile on people’s faces and into client relationships.
10) They are focused and keen to take up challenges. Engaged employees are wholly attentive and know when to take action and why. They are excited to take on the new challenge in order to crack the existing problem in the organization. In fact, they are also enthusiastic about learning new things that would help in widening their horizon. They feel more contented and acknowledged for who they are in the workplace than those with low engagement levels.
11) They are harbors of innovation. Whether it is solving problems, improving processes, thinking of new ways to do things or creating new products, engaged employees will challenge the status quo and openly share ideas on “how to build a better mouse trap”. This is of course if the organization and its leadership have created a culture that nurtures, instead of stifling creativity and innovation. In fact, this may be one of the most important characteristics of a deeply engaged organization of employees. Through innovation, an organization can solve its own problems, improve its own processes, develop the next great idea; and, its that innovation that helps it build a sustainable organization capable of meeting future challenges and changes that are inevitable in any business!
Many organizations think their issues lie in efficiency and process improvement initiatives, but they don’t create the trust and empowerment needed to let their employees solve these issues with their own creativity and innovation. Often, they hire process improvement consultants. This can be a very good thing if done in the right way, or conversely can be very damaging to employee engagement and lead to unsustainable results, if done in the wrong way.
These are telling traits! While engaged employees might not display everyone of them, most of the time they demonstrate many of them. Creating a culture and environment that not only allows, but encourages these traits to come forward is leadership’s challenge. A challenge worth taking on though – even though it can and probably will be a long, difficult journey because it requires the organization and leadership to change in order to get there.
The payoff, more fulfilled leadership, more fulfilled employees and performance beyond what most anyone might expect!
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