Introduction - Employee engagement

                       

Introduction - Employee engagement

Employee engagement is an area of organisational practice that has been located within the subject of people or HR management but is increasingly viewed in a wider organisational context because of its positive impact on a range of business, service or operational outcomes. Its definitions include emotional and rational factors; concerning enthusiasm, passion, satisfaction, confidence, empowerment and positivity of attitudes. 

It relates to a person’s ‘preferred self’ in behaviour which promotes connections to work and to others. The analyses suggest that employee engagement, as part of an overall employee experience, is connected to both the job and the organisation and is an active, work-related state. Amongst the terms that have been used to describe employee engagement are, on the one hand, positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind characterized by vigour, dedication, and absorption; or on the other as energetic involvement with fulfilling activities that enhance the person’s sense of professional efficacy.

It is positive, proactive behaviour in the workplace and towards the organisation brought about by a combination of motivated, emotionally attached employees; integrated, enlightened people management activities and empathetic managers towards the achievement of clearly communicated business objectives.

(Turner, 2019)

Theories and Models Related to Employee Engagement

Engagement is “the psychological state and behavioural outcomes (say, stay, strive) that lead to better performance”. This paper highlights some of the important definitions of employee engagement coined by researchers and firms and also explains the important models in relation to employee engagement.  These kinds of studies help companies to tap many simple and inexpensive opportunities to create an engaged work-force.  

The relationship of employee engagement with two important topics like Leadership and Talent management has been explained as a part of the paper. This study on employee engagement would foster to develop new practice strategies not to correct a deficit, but to help individuals to improve their capacity in order to maximize their non-functioning.

(Kavya and Padmavathy, 2017)

 

Figure 1 - Aon Hewitt’s Employee Engagement Model

Liston, K. (2021)

Figure  2 -  Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs applied to Employee engagement

 

Maslow's Hierarchy of needs can also be applied to employee engagement in the workplace:

1. Highly Engaged – An employee is happy to help and inspire their co-workers and will not leave.
2. Engaged – Someone who feels that they play a vital and important role in the business and is more likely to achieve.
3. Almost Engaged – They know that they are part of something bigger in the company but may leave if offered a better opportunity.
4. Not Engaged – Is looking for new opportunities, are unhappy with the management and possibly their working conditions.
5. Disengaged – They are only working for their salary, are dissatisfied with their job and are likely to leave the company soon.

(www.ovationincentives.com, 2023)

 

 

Figure  3 Zinger Model of Employee Engagement

1.      Achieve Results: Achieving the desired results, i.e., higher levels of employee engagement is the ultimate aim of the Zinger model; however, the process is well supported by various other steps. The managers need to work on self as well as the employees of the company through well-crafted strategies.

2.      Craft Strategies: Crafting appropriate strategies to achieve higher levels of employee engagement is the first and foremost task. It involves a lot of planning and considerations of employee as well as organisational requirements. Managers can seek helps from professional management consultants in order to craft effective strategies.

3.      Enliven Roles: Employees will love their work when it seems interesting to them. Managers should work on redefining their tasks and responsibilities in a manner that eliminates the element of boredom from their job to keep them interested in their work.

4.      Excel at Work: Motivating employees to perform work certainly pays off. An organisation must have a system for recognising and rewarding employees for their efforts so that they remain stimulated to perform better and better.

5.      Get Connected: Managers must remain connected to their subordinates so that they can share their problems and ask for advice to perform their tasks. Communication is the backbone of every managerial process.

6.      Be Authentic: Being real and genuine is what is expected from a leader. Top management, HR people as well as immediate managers should show genuine concern towards the problems of employees and make dedicate efforts to help them get rid of it.

7.      Live Recognition: Recognising the efforts of employees in front of everyone not only boost their moral but also encourages them to stay with the organisation and perform their best always.

8.      Fully Engage: The desired results can be achieved in the fastest possible way only if employees are fully engage. A comprehensive study about what actually engages or disengages the employees must be conducted. Designing and implementing appropriate strategies is the next step.

9.      Identify with Organisation: Employees stay in organisation for long years if they feel connected to their organisation. Management should understand that they are their most important assets without which nothing can be achieved.

10.   Serve Customers: Only engaged employees can serve their customers in the best possible manner. Maintain a tradition and culture to offer the best services to the customers. Making employees aware of this tradition of the organisation from time to time can help a great deal.

11.   Develop Personally: Organisation should not only focus on attaining its goal but also on the overall development of an employee. Employees who grow with the organisation are deeply connected to their workplace and always ready to walk that extra mile to achieve success for it.

12.   Attain Happiness: Happy and satisfied employees are the most important assets of an organisation. The secret behind the success of highly productive businesses is their happy employees.

      (Juneja, 2022)

References

Juneja, P. (2022). Zinger Model of Employee Engagement. [online] Managementstudyguide.com. Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/zinger-model-employee-engagement.htm [Accessed 28 Mar. 2023].

Kavya, M. and Padmavathy, G. (2017). Employee Engagement: A Review on Engagement Models. undefined. [online] Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Employee-Engagement%3A-A-Review-on-Engagement-Models-Kavya-Padmavathy/fba5d5828bb5798d46a763741556aea925adee80 [Accessed 28 Mar. 2023].

Liston, K. (2021). 3 Employee Engagement Models for a Happier, More Profitable Workplace. [online] ContactMonkey. Available at: https://www.contactmonkey.com/blog/employee-engagement-models [Accessed 28 Mar. 2023].

Turner, P. (2019). What Is Employee Engagement? Employee Engagement in Contemporary Organizations, pp.27–56. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36387-1_2 [Accessed 28 Mar. 2023].

www.ovationincentives.com. (2023). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Applied to Employee Engagement. [online] Available at: https://www.ovationincentives.com/articles/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-applied-to-employee-engagement [Accessed 28 Mar. 2023].