Employee engagement is key to the success of any business. Every year, companies lose $450-500 billion due to disengaged workers and overall low employee engagement.
This means that if you are not engaging your employees in a way that makes them feel valued and appreciated for their work then they will leave or be less productive than they could otherwise be.
Employee engagement statistics show that highly engaged employees lead to an increase in profitability of 21%, lower turnover rates of 31%, and an 80% customer retention rate. 58% of employees wish their employer would conduct employee engagement surveys.
What is employee engagement?
In the effort to understand and describe the nature of the relationship between an organization and its employees, employee engagement is a fundamental concept.
Employee engagement is when an organization has engaged its workforce by creating a positive environment where people want to come to work every day. This can only happen through good leadership skills from senior management as well as effective communication between all levels within the company.
Why Employee Engagement Is Important?
The benefits of having engaged workers include:
Increased productivity
Employees who are more engaged with their jobs have higher levels of job satisfaction which leads to 17% increased performance. This results in better quality products and services being delivered by an organization.
Increased Sales
Organizations that are highly engaged experience an average 20% increase in sales.
Increased profitability
Based on a 2016 analysis by Gallup, engaged teams have 21% greater profitability. Allowing for greater company growth and organizational success.
Improved customer service
As reported in the Demand Metric 2013 Employee Engagement Survey, the impact of employee engagement on customer service is undeniable, with more than 80% of customers being retained by organizations with more than 50% employee engagement.
When customers know that staff members enjoy what they do it helps create a positive experience when interacting with the company. It also creates a sense of loyalty from clients because they see how much effort goes into making sure everyone has a good time at work every day.
Reduced absenteeism
It is reported to cost U.S. employers $225.8 billion annually due to productivity losses associated with absenteeism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
High engagement organizations have 41% lower absenteeism. In the U.S., the absence rate for all full-time wage and salary workers is 2.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Increased employee safety
In highly engaged workplaces, safety incidents are 70% lower than those in low engagement settings leading to a better overall employee experience.
Higher retention rate
Employees who feel engaged are 87% less likely to leave their company than unengaged employees.
People want to stay somewhere they’re happy so if they find out about a great place to work they won’t hesitate to apply. They may even ask friends and family to recommend the company as well.
Lower turnover costs
Employee retention statistics show that the cost associated with replacing someone who leaves is high. Studies have shown that organizations with highly engaged employees have a 31% lower turnover rate and increase employee loyalty.
How much more productive are engaged employees?
Based on a 2016 analysis by Gallup, engaged teams have fewer turnovers, 21% greater profitability, and 10% higher customer ratings.
Employees that are engaged to a 17% increase in productivity — according to employee engagement surveys. Employee engagement leads to more dedication and discretionary effort in the workplace, increasing both productivity and innovation.
What is a good employee engagement rate?
A good average engagement score for an organization is 50% or higher. A recent survey by Gallup found that currently only 36% of employees in the U.S. are engaged in their work.
The survey also found that there was in a increase of actively disengaged employees going from 14% in 2020 to 15% through June 2021. The highly disenaged employees say factors such as poor management and bad work experiences are big contributing factors.
Among actively disengaged workers in 2021, 74% are either actively looking for new employment or watching for openings according to the Gallup survey. The majority of workers who are not happy at work are either already looking for another job, or very interested in doing so.
The rate of change of jobs for engaged employees is lower than for unengaged or actively disengaged employees.
ROI on employee engagement
The case of Best Buy is considered to be the best example of an ROI calculation. An employee engagement increase of just .01% at a Best Buy store is worth $100,000 to the company a study by the Harvard Business review found.
How do I know if my business needs more engagement?
There are many signs that indicate whether your business requires additional employee engagement. Here are indicators to look out for:
1) Employees feel like they’re working too much. This could be due to a lack of control over workloads or being forced into overtime hours.
2) Employee morale is low. Low morale means there isn’t enough motivation among team members to achieve success.
3) There is high absenteeism. High levels of absence may suggest that people aren’t feeling valued or appreciated.
4) People don’t have time to take breaks during the day. Breaks allow them to recharge mentally and physically before returning to work refreshed.
5) Workers complain about having no opportunity to grow personally.
6) Workplace safety issues occur frequently.
7) Productivity suffers when employees are unhappy with their roles.
8) Customer service becomes difficult.
9) Sales decline.
10) Customers become frustrated with long waiting times.
11) Profits drop.
12) Company reputation declines.
What are five indicators of high engagement in a workplace
1) Employees feeling safe at work
2) Employees having clear job descriptions
3) Employees knowing who has decision-making authority
4) Employees receiving timely information about changes in policies and procedures
5) Employees feeling supported by management
In order to be considered ‘engaged’, an employee must show positive behavior such as actively seeking learning opportunities, asking questions, and participating in discussions.
This means that not only does he/she need to demonstrate a willingness to participate, but also that they don’t just sit back and wait for someone else to take action.
So whether you’re looking to motivate your existing employees or recruit new ones, make sure you consider these factors before starting any recruitment process. After all, without proper incentives and benefits, no amount of money or perks will keep people around!
What are the key drivers of employee engagement?
Here’s what some experts say drives employee engagement levels:
• Job satisfaction – A sense of personal accomplishment from performing one’s duties well.
• Autonomy – Having the freedom to decide how to perform tasks within limits set by supervisors.
• Purpose – Feeling part of something bigger than oneself.
• Employee recognition – Being recognized for good performance.
• Feedback – Receiving feedback on performance.
• Work-Life balance– Having influence over decisions affecting own work life.
• Fairness – Working conditions based on merit rather than favoritism creating a strong culture.
• Leader Availability -Employees may question high-level business decisions if they don’t feel that leadership is connecting with people at work.
• Respect and core values– Feelings of respect from others toward self and overall corporate culture.
• Safety – Knowing that risks can be controlled through careful planning and execution.
• Support – Receiving help and support from colleagues.
• Employee development – Opportunity to learn different skills and experience variety in assignments and increase professional development.
• Opportunities for advancement – Possibility of career growth.
• Participation – Involvement in group activities.
• Responsibility – Taking responsibility for results achieved.
• Rewards – Financial rewards, non-financial rewards
How much do companies spend on employee engagement?
Each year, American companies spend more than $100 billion on employee engagement. Yet most programs provide a short-term boost only to revert to the mean.
Conclusion
Engaging with staff is not just about rewarding them; it also involves communicating effectively with people who work for us on an ongoing basis. This means being aware of their needs, wishes, and concerns so they feel valued and appreciated to increase employee satisfaction.
The more engaged you are with your team, the better chance there is of improving productivity levels, reducing absenteeism, and increasing customer satisfaction. So if recognition isn’t enough motivation for your workers why bother trying?
The truth is that while recognizing achievements and rewards do play a part in motivating individuals, it doesn’t have to stop there. There are many other things that companies could do to encourage greater commitment from their workforce including offering flexible working hours or even allowing time off when needed.
It may seem like a lot of effort to go through, especially if you’re already stretched thin, but it’s worth taking the time to get involved because it’ll pay dividends over the long term.
