Why is employee engagement important?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record 47.4 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in 2021. This mass exodus from the workforce was no doubt spurred on by COVID-19. However, this trend began before the pandemic, and challenges with finding and retaining talent were already a concern in the integration industry.
On this episode of the Navigator, Brad Malone is joined by Patrick Britton to discuss this Great Resignation, which really exemplifies the fact that a large portion of our working population doesn’t feel satisfied at work.
And a lot of that comes from the ability of employers to make their employees feel like they’re part of the process. “As we see the changing of the generations in the workforce, the younger generations need to feel more like they’re part of something, rather than just like they’re making money to go home and support their families,” Britton explains.
“In a lot of cases, the important thing is to listen to employees,” Britton continues. “Let them know that if they have an idea, you are going to listen to them. You don’t actually have to take every idea and put it into practice. But to let them know that they are part of the organization, they’re part of the process, they can make suggestions, and they will be heard.”
“Employee engagement is about listening. But it is critical to listen with intent and listen to understand, versus just listening as an obligation. People actually want to be listened to, which is very different than being heard.” Patrick Britton
Tell Me More
Take a tell me more philosophy into your conversations with people at work. Invite them to share more information by asking follow-up questions. Then listen for the details they’re sharing – maybe it is something personal, or maybe something about work. Take a mental note to remember what was said, then the next time you speak to that employee, be sure to bring it back up. Now that employee feels like they’re part of something bigger, not just a cog in the machine.
Employee engagement is just like any other process.
It takes effort and it takes work.
But the value that engagement can bring to your organization is crucial.
“You will have happier, and more productive employees, coupled with higher retention and lower employee turnover,” Britton concludes. And who in the integration industry would not like to maintain their top-level employees?
Watch the full episode for all this and much more!
The Value in Employee Engagement
