When one thinks about “engagement,” it’s often in the context of customer engagement, not employee engagement. However, in a recent interview with engagement expert Dondi Scumaci, she revealed why engaging employees is vital.
An engaged employee:
- Finds meaning and purpose in their work.
- Puts in more discretionary effort.
- Feels connected.
- Wants to get more involved in the work.
Engaging employees not only makes their work more satisfying but benefits the business because those employees are now putting in more effort and imparting meaning to their work. This engagement can translate to better customer interactions, improved products, and an improved work environment.
Systematizing employee engagement
Business systems can be formed around creating employee engagement. After all, engaging an employee is often done by creating exciting work and a great work environment that encourages connection.
Before one begins systematizing, however, you need to discover a few things. These include:
1. Find out what people are connecting with in your company - and what causes disconnection. Talk to employees about the big picture and what connects them to the company. What gets them excited about their work - and what causes disconnection? You may be surprised by what you find!
2. Discover your shared values. Your employees share values and goals - after all, they all work for your company. Find out what resonates with them and correlate these goals and values. In the end, you can utilize these shared values and objectives to increase collaboration.
3. Have conversations with people to find out:
- What they are doing.
- Why they're doing it.
- The impact their actions have.
Collecting this data will inform how you create systems for engagement.
Five systems to set up
1. Create a feedback loop
Feedback about an employee's actions and the difference those efforts made can help inform future action. Systematizing this feedback will provide a continuous loop, allowing employees and management to find out what’s working and what isn’t and help keep everyone focused on priorities.
2. Set up a system for adding connectivity
You discovered what creates connections in the above list of three things to find out from employees. Take a cue from that information to set up a connectivity system. This may include coaching or mentorship to increase connectivity between new employees and the long-term employees who are experts in your industry.
This would lead to:
3. Create a coaching system
Building a system for coaching is vital for improving overall performance and connectivity. Any sound coaching system would include measurements at the beginning of the coaching, goals for the future, and actions that map out how one would get from a to b. Additionally, your system should include measurements one could take along the way to show that the employee and coach are reaching their goals.
4. Establish communication systems
Building an effective communication system is the only way to make a community work together. If you can’t communicate, you can’t coordinate, delegate, or even tell one another what is happening. So, establish a robust communication system and policies around this system. Determine which channels you will use and stick with them.
5. Create community policies and resources
Policies, processes, and procedures should be accessible to the whole team. Employees must understand what each team member is doing and how jobs interconnect. When policies, processes, and procedures are accessible, every team member can connect more deeply with one another and work as a community.
Building employee engagement is vital to creating any business system that will actually get used. If employees are not engaged in their work, they will not be involved in building systems, learning them, and using them.
Are you ready to build employee engagement around business systems? Let’s get started! Connect with Business Success Consulting Group here.
