Smart Business Magazine, Mar 2013

BRIDGING THE GAP SHERRI ELLIOTT YEARY Connect motivate and support How to boost productivity by engaging employees more deeply in their work E very company cant be like Facebook or SAS where amenities such as free on site medical care for employees and their families lowcost high quality child care a fitness center a library and a summer camp for employees children are the norm Or like Google which provides free food fitness facilities massage rooms hair dressers laundry rooms and on site doctors So what are you to do First you have to understand what employee engagement is and the impact that the lack of employee engagement can have on your company or business Wikipedia defines employee engagement as the extent to which employee commitment both emotional and intellectual exists relative to accomplishing the work mission and vision of the organization Employee engagement has become an area of focus within organizations because it boosts employee retention thereby helping companies avoid expensive employee replacement costs resulting from staff members who voluntarily quit their jobs 8 Smart Business Dallas March 2013 According to the Society of Human Resource Management the cost of replacing one 8 per hour employee can exceed 3500 Information like this obviously gives companies a strong financial incentive to maintain their existing staff members through strong employee engagement practices Organizations that recognize that higher employee retention increased productivity and reduced absenteeism all have financial impact will see that their employee engagement efforts make sound business sense Engaged workers tend to complete tasks faster get higher customer service ratings and demonstrate greater loyalty Use these five quick tips to improve employee engagement starting today Build trust Employees need to be able to trust their managers and their companys leaders Clear communication is a key element of trust To build trust monitor how and what you communicate to people around you In organizations under stress sometimes its difficult for leadership to be completely forthcoming Few people expect everything to be perfect all the time Create connections People want to have meaning in all aspects of their lives If they do not feel the importance of what they do they disconnect Therefore it is important to highlight the connections between things and people Help employees see the big picture of how their role and objectives fit into the organizations objectives Appreciate people Recognition is an important part of motivation and engagement and it can be as simple as genuine appreciation Praise people when its warranted and give credit where credit is due The best recognition is immediate specific and personal Motivate others Motivation is our desire or willingness to do something An organization where people are willing and able to work toward a common goal is stronger than one where people are badgered threatened or generally reluctant Support growth There is nothing more demotivating than feeling youre in a dead end job Talk to employees about the directions theyd like to see their career paths take and help them identify opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them achieve those goals You dont have to be a manager or leader of an organization to build trust create connections appreciate people motivate others and support growth Anyone at any level can make a difference in the work lives of those around them The payoff shows up in increased innovation and productivity lower turnover lower sickness rates and higher employee satisfaction In a world warring for increasingly sparse talent the importance of a strong employee engagement program should not to be underestimated While traveling around the U S and Canada training managers on the importance of embracing the generational workforce I have noticed a consistent theme Managers want to know how they can do a better job engaging their employees Sherri Elliott Yeary is the CEO of human resources consulting companies Optimance Workforce Strategies and Gen InsYght as well as the author of Ties to Tattoos Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage She has more than 15 years of experience as a trusted adviser and human resources consultant to companies ranging from small start ups to large international corporations Contact her at sherri@ generationalguru com CLICK OR SCAN to read more columns by this author or go to bit ly SBN_ Elliott Yeary