In my view, one of the most important drivers of employee engagement is the relationship that employees have with their direct supervisor. Employees want to hear from their direct manager regarding their performance, their career opportunities, how what they do brings value to the company and how organizational changes affect them. When employees believe that their manager communicates openly and honestly with them, cares about them as an individual and is genuinely interested in their career, their engagement level is significantly higher.
I think most of us can think of a time when we had a manager who did these things and how it affected our attitude toward our work, our manager and the company itself. And we can all think of a time when we had a manager who didn’t do these things. How did that affect us?
This type of leadership doesn’t just happen though; it takes consistent and daily effort. It means making time to talk about the individual’s performance and career goals vs work deliverables; managing by walking around; taking the time to get to know them as a person, not just an employee; understanding what motivates them; and most importantly, it means communicating with them honestly and often.
– Tanya Brening, BGSHRM President, HR Business Partner, Lexmark International
Meaningful work tied to the company strategy. Appropriate compensation, rewards and recognition. Strong senior leadership. Effective, caring managers. Opportunities for career development. Any discussion around the drivers of employee engagement includes (or should include) one or more of the items above. And they’re important. But what I’d like to focus on is the importance of an individualized approach to employee engagement.
How do first-line, or direct, managers begin to accomplish this? One way is to talk to their employees, and not just about their latest deliverable, a pressing business issue, or last night’s Cats game. At least once a year, clear your schedule, remove distractions and talk individually with each employee about a subject near and dear to their heart: them.
These talks are sometimes called “stay conversations” because they include some of the same content as traditional “exit conversations.” The difference is that they’re conducted while your employees are still with you, while you can do something about what you learn.
Four steps to effective stay conversations:
1. Identify goals, values and abilities. What motivates them? What do they want to do in the future? What can they learn from past successes/failures?
2. Provide feedback. How do others see them? Where can they get additional feedback?
3. Discuss workplace changes. Do their goals match the company’s direction? What new opportunities might there be for them?
4. Design a course of action with a development plan. What assignments/mentors could help you gain the experience you need? How can your management team help you grow?
– Liz Caras, BGSHRM Past President, Recruiting Manager, Lexmark International
The most important drivers of employee engagement include enrichment & development, recognition, communication, and collaboration with managers and/or team members giving room for creativity and implementation of ideas. Employee engagement can take on many different meanings to each individual employee. But one constant is that employees feel a sense of appreciation and belonging when their manager takes a vested interest in their development. In turn, employees see beyond their individual career path to how they contribute to the end product or larger goal. The best way to get started? It’s also the best way to increase the success rate of achieving goals. Write them down.
In collaboration, a manger and employee can identify both short-term and long-term action items by creating a development plan for career enrichment. The plan is customized based on an employee’s interest and can provide a challenge for new assignments, tasks, or learning – a development plan’s greatest attribute. Just don’t stop there. Communication and follow-up are critical in making these action plans a success!
While you’re planning for the future, don’t forget your good manners in the present. Recognition and praise for great work can go a long way for employee engagement. Even when a manager takes only a minute out of his/her busy schedule to say, “thank you” or “job well done,” employees appreciate it. Simple forms of thanks help employees feel appreciated that their contributions are making a difference.
– Andrea George, BGSHRM Communications Director, AVP, Senior Analyst – Affirmative Action & Compliance, Fifth Third Bank