09.EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Figure1:Employee Engagement

Employee engagement refers to the personal and professional relationship that employees have with their employer, coworkers, and place of employment. High levels of engagement are connected to increased job satisfaction, performance, and employee retention and are a sign of a better overall work experience. Galpin states that "having a positive attitude about their work and being willing to put in extra effort to ensure that the assigned task is completed to the best of their abilities" are indicators of employee engagement. The importance of an employee's work, their contacts with management and other employees, and the opportunities for advancement, support, and recognition that their employer offers all play a major role in determining how engaged an employee is. 

Employee engagement is a human resources (HR) concept that describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication a worker feels toward their job. Engaged employees care about their work and about the performance of the company, and feel that their efforts make a difference. An engaged employee is in it for more than a paycheck and may consider their well-being linked to their performance, and thus instrumental to their company's success(Tim Smith,2023).

Employee engagement is the emotional and professional connection employees feel toward their organization, colleagues and work. High engagement leads to increased job satisfaction, performance, employee retention and is a reflection of a positive overall employee experience.

The meaningfulness of an employee's work is a key factor in engagement, as are their relationships with colleagues and managers, and the support, recognition and development opportunities their organization offers. Truly engaged employees reflect a company's respect for its workforce, which makes it more attractive to prospective hires and can lead to increased profitability and return on investments(Nick Barney,2023).

                                                Source: You Tube(2021)

TYPES OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Here we can consider it in two different perspectives, They are ,

3 types of employee engagement based on the levels of engagement

According to Krishan Patel(2023),A great way to analyze engagement among employees is by focusing on the attitudes and performance levels of the employees when it comes to engagement and dedication. 

The 3 types of engagement based on this are:

Figure2:Employee Engagement

1. Actively engaged employees

These are employees who are passionate about their role, what they do on a day-to-day basis and are entirely dedicated to the goals of your business. Actively engaged employees spread positivity in the workplace, serve as advocates for your brand and rarely allow distractions to interrupt their work. They also serve as encouraging forces during times of distress or negativity. 

These types of employees are the biggest asset for a company. So, meet their consistency with rewards, appreciation and new goals at regular intervals. Make sure to always keep them informed.

2. Not engaged

Unfortunately, employees who are not engaged can make up a large part of a company’s workforce. They typically only complete the tasks at hand, usually one at a time, and do not take a proactive approach to do any more than required. They rarely show emotion, whether happy or unhappy, are generally disengaged and may not show interest in anything else going on in the company. 

As an employer, you might need to invest a bit of extra time and effort in getting to know these employees, finding ways to inspire them, motivate them and make them feel special. Help them see beyond each task and encourage them to push their potential not just for the growth of the company, but for their personal growth as well. 

3. Actively disengaged employees

These are the most unhappy set of employees in your company. Actively disengaged employees can encourage unhappiness, spread negative news and inspire others to abandon their jobs and tasks. They underperform and can resent those who perform better than them while struggling to find the desire to do better or more.

It can be tough to deal with, or even identify, actively disengaged employees as most stay in a company for many years without being noticed. You should attempt to overcome negativity as soon as you notice it before it proves harmful to your work culture and company.

3 types of employee engagement based on the desired end result

Another way to classify types of employee engagement is in terms of the desired end result. This framework looks at the way employees feel while at work. It takes a more holistic approach to employee engagement by looking into their psyche. The framework classifies these into cognitive, emotional and physical engagement.

Let’s take a closer look.

Figure3:Components Employee Engagement

1. Cognitive engagement 

This is when an employee is fully and keenly aware of the company’s values, goals and mission. They also are completely aligned with them and channel all their efforts into completing each task to meet the goal of their manager and company. An employee’s confidence levels and creativity play key roles in making them engage with their work at a cognitive level.

2. Emotional engagement

 

Emotional engagement refers to an emotional connection that an employee has with their work, their team, their manager or the company. It is how mentally attached the employee is to the organization and how much of their personal feelings and emotions they bring into their professional life. A happy, trusted and secure employee will be able to easily emotionally attach themselves to their work.

3. Physical engagement

This can be both physical and mental energy and can be seen in the types of activities that the employee takes part in, who they interact with and how much energy they invest in their work. Physical effort requires an employee to take an active interest and personal initiative when it comes to their job and this comes when they feel fully secure in their role and with the expectations set for them.

Benefits of Employee Engagement

1. Team-Building Workshops

2. Volunteer Opportunities

3. Employee Recognition Programs

4. Wellness Initiatives

5. Innovation Challenges

6. Office Celebrations and Workplace Parties

SOME EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO MOTIVATE THE WORK-FORCE

•  Recognize and reward employees for big wins and small moments
  
• Collect employee feedback — and act on it
• Try some fun, voluntary team-building activities
• Provide learning opportunities to support employee development
•  Celebrate and support diversity
• Encourage employee wellness
• Bridge the gap between leadership and staff
• Support personal interests

CONCLUSION

Employee loyalty refers to the strong emotional and professional relationships employees have with their employers, coworkers, and jobs. The level of fervor and dedication a worker has for their job is known as employee engagement. Because of its links to morale and job satisfaction, employee engagement can have a significant impact on a company's capacity to flourish. There is a greater chance of increased productivity and performance when employees are engaged.

REFERENCES

Smith, T. (2023, October 28). employee-engagement.asp. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from investopedia.com: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/employee-engagement.asp

Barney, N. (2022). employee-engagement. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from www.techtarget.com: https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/definition/employee-engagement

Patel, K. (2023, March 16). employee Engagement. Retrieved April 13, 2024, from Seenit.io: https://www.seenit.io/blog/3-types-of-employee-engagement

Figure1    :    Employee Engagement

Figure2    :    Employee Engagement

Figure3    :    Component Employee Engagement

  Source    :     You Tube(2021)