Factors Influencing Employee Engagement

Factors that influence employee engagement are varied and very diverse. While there are some that depend on the prevailing culture within the organisation, there are also common threads for all individuals, and also individual factors that can significantly influence a person’s relationship with colleagues and their organisation. Take a look through our list of factors influencing engagement and see which ones you can apply to your own organisation or your own team members.

Employee engagement refers to an individual’s involvement and satisfaction with his or her work. Engaged employees are emotionally connected to one another and to their work. They are better able to relate to the direction of the company and feel that their roles contribute to the organization’s momentum.

Engaged employees are more productive and profitable, but only 30% of the workforce is actually engaged. What are some contributing factors, and what should you do to improve employee engagement in the workplace?

Quality of relationships with

• COLLEAGUES and peers
• the LINE MANAGER
• the ORGANISATION
• people OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION (e.g. suppliers, press)

The relationship with the line manager

• How much AUTONOMY does the line manager provide?
• Does the line manager TRUST the employee?
• Does the line managers MICROMANAGE the employee?
• Can the employee MANAGE THEIR OWN WORKLOAD?
• Does the line manage provide OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING?
• Feedback is DESIRED BUT NEVER GIVEN
• Feedback is CRITICAL AND NON-CONSTRUCTIVE

Career

• Lack of opportunities for PROMOTION OR ADVANCEMENT
• Stagnation in LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES both informal and formal

Behaviours

• The extent to which people in the organisation display CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOURS
• Whether DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE create distance or create closeness
• Do people work towards PERSONAL GOALS ONLY OR TEAM GOALS?

Organisation

• The perception of the QUALITY of the products the organisation produces
• Does the employee understand the VISION of the organisation?
• The extent to which the COMPANY VISION TRANSLATES TO WHAT THE EMPLOYEE DOES
• The perception of how much their individual CONTRIBUTION is making a difference
• To what extent is the organisation ADAPTING TO SOCIETAL CHANGES?
• The degree to which staff TRUST SENIOR LEADERS
• The organisation is mature and adept when it comes to SHARING INFORMATION, INCLUDING FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Recruitment

• The job sold at interview DOES NOT GEL WITH REALITY
• The CULTURE is found to be INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL’S BELIEFS OR NEEDS

Reward and recognition

• The perception of FAIRNESS with regard salary and benefits
• Feeling IGNORED OR TAKEN FOR GRANTED

Wellbeing

• The degree to which people have WORK-LIFE BALANCE
• How much the person feels SUPPORTED in their personal needs e.g. family care
• AMOUNT OF WORK does not match of time available
• CHRONIC STRESS due to workload or other factors not managed by the organisation

Personal

• Does the employee TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORKPLACE PROBLEMS OR BLAME OTHERS?
• The degree of RESILIENCE the employee can call upon
• To what extent does the employee have a GROWTH MINDSET?
• Does the employee TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN LEARNING?

Reasons

Management

Leadership sets the tone for company culture. Leaders are able to influence, produce change and motivate teams. The most effective leaders help employees see the value in their work and how it aligns with business goals and the direction of the company.

When the workplace becomes emotionally charged due to anxieties and unforeseen challenges, management has the ability to address the situation and curb potential conflict. If management is unable to calm employee anxieties and help teams refocus on the work, well … who will?

According to a study conducted by Cornerstone OnDemand and research firm Kelton, the top reason why employees stay in their current positions aside from compensation and benefits is “a good manager I enjoy working for.” Positive attitudes in management impact not only employee engagement, but also retention numbers.

Attitude

Happy employees are better at their work. We popularly believe that hard work and success make us happy, yet Harvard psychology research reveals that happiness brings us success. Employees are responsible for owning their own happiness. If you aren’t happy doing what you’re doing, you may need to look internally and take control of your situation and attitude.

According to another statistic, only 25% of job success is based on IQ, while the other 75% is based on our beliefs, connectedness to others and ability to manage stress.

Positivity impacts the brain significantly. Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, found that positivity, or optimism, is the leading predictor of success in entrepreneurs and business leaders because they perceive more opportunities in the midst of challenges.

In many instances, leaders are in a prime position to lead by example. Exude the attitude you would want your employees to possess. Influence the attitudes of those around you. Positivity is contagious.

Health

Sickness and other health issues are a drain on employee productivity. Sick employees tend to call out for fear of infecting coworkers or simply because they feel more comfortable at home.

Tired employees also cost you productivity and money. In fact, fatigue carries estimated losses of more than $136 billion in lost profit, and 84% of the cost is not related to reduced productivity over a sick-related absence.

A remote workplace policy helps alleviate some of these concerns and encourages employees to work when and where they feel most effective. When implemented correctly, remote employees are likely to be as connected and engaged as those who work consistently in the office.

Technology

No matter how positive and engaged your employees are, they may remain unproductive without the right technology.

For example, a sales team in its early stages keeps track of leads using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, while a growing sales team needs a more sophisticated system like CRM software [link to CRM post] to manage the sales cycle and leads as they mature. Plus, ease of use through advanced technology keeps employees engaged, while outdated systems and redundant or tedious processes only lead to frustration.

The positive attributes of smart employees are enhanced by the right technology. Look into current processes and see how they might be improved through a technology upgrade. The productivity of your employees and your overall business stand to benefit.

Culture

Because employees feel more engaged when connected, collaboration has been linked to productivity and positivity. Employees who collaborate develop a better sense of how their input and roles play into the company structure. Create a culture that values input from everyone.

Without the proper culture, engagement spirals out of control. Culture – along with collaboration increases connectedness, and employees who feel outside of that connectedness tend to lose focus and underperform.