The Importance of Engagement

Create the conditions where people are excited to come work in the morning.

If you are looking to develop a culture of engagement, the formula is simple:

• Help people continually expand their expertise at what they do.
• Once they know, give them the authority and responsibility to decide how things should get done.
• Give them something meaningful to work on.

Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to solve them.

When smart, confident people can use their unique skills and experience to solve problems that are meaningful, there is no stopping them.

Here’s how HR can help:

1. Experts in Human Resources are uniquely trained and skilled in developing people’s skills and expertise, through formalized professional development, on the job training programs and feedback systems designed to encourage learning in a safe environment.
2. Your HR team can build job descriptions with defined responsibilities and accountabilities that give people the freedom to make decisions about how best to get things done, within parameters that are clear and widely understood.
3. As members of the strategic leadership team, HR can translate the organization’s vision and purpose into a meaningful daily application.

Why is it important?

1. Engaged employees boost productivity

Employees who are engaged and invested in their roles are 21 per cent more productive at work than those who aren’t. Disconnected employees work less, cost money and demotivate others.

2. Engaged employees are less likely to quit

Unwanted turnover is expensive and difficult. If your employees are invested in your workplace and they’re happy in their role, they’re far less likely to leave.

3. Engaged employees are positive

Negative feedback surfaces more than positive, which is why it’s important to engage with employees and give them a reason to feel proud and significant at work. At the end of the day, the employee experience will translate to the customer experience.

4. Engaged employees are more creative

Creativity is not about coming up with an idea no one thought of before. It’s improving on an existing solution or putting a series of ideas together in a new way. Employees who are engaged tend to feel more comfortable taking risks. Creative problem solving breathes new possibilities into work.

Ultimately, engagement leads to a healthier and more creative workplace, where innovative people want to contribute meaningfully to the best possible outcomes.