Today’s workforce is constantly evolving. Employees are now able to take advantage of flexible & remote working, and in an increasingly global marketplace, international roles in disparate locations are no longer unusual. As a result, employers are having to create employee engagement strategies within a fragmented work culture to ensure that all staff feel valued and engaged.  However with recent research from Gallup revealing that 67% of the global workforce is disengaged, representing approximately US$7 trillion in lost productivity, it is clear that there is still room for improvement.

With this in mind, we have produced a report detailing the top factors which cause employees to be actively disengaged. By aggregating and curating several major sources of research over a number of years from bodies such as CIPD, WERS, Investors in People, and Gallup, the report highlights the most frequently cited drivers of employee engagement. And the top factors are:

• Positive Motivation: The report found that this was one of the largest drivers of employee engagement – but also one of the most expansive.  While employees may be content to do what is required of them, they will be more willing to emotionally invest in their work and consequently increase productivity if they get recognition and reward for good performance.
• Room for Innovation: While employees can be one of the best sources for new ideas, the analysis reveals that less than half of managers actively seek out employee suggestions – or give feedback.  The clear message to employers is to encourage staff to share their ideas and encourage innovation, but also to ensure that these suggestions are responded to in a timely manner.
• Training and the work environment: Onboarding should start on the first day of an employee’s journey with a company. Employers providing training, whether this be in the form of step-by-step videos, in person or online, will reap the benefits of up skilling staff as this enables them to contribute more productively to the workplace and their job responsibilities. Employers that prioritise operating a safe and secure working environment will also reflect a well-managed organisation
• Employee Wellbeing: Today’s employees want to feel valued not only in terms of their contribution to the business, but also that their employer is taking their wellbeing into account and seeing them as more than just a worker. Demonstrations of this can include supporting healthy lifestyles by encouraging employees to take their lunch breaks and holidays as well as more formal support for health problems.
• Organisational values: Every organisation, regardless of size, industry or number of employees has a purpose and set of values. Our research revealed that while employers are often very good at communicating these values externally, the same is not always true internally. And with many employees being drawn to a company based on its brand ethos and culture, employers need to focus on positively communicating strategy, values and purpose so employees feel part of the collective as a whole. Failure to do so could lead to employee disengagement or result in staff conducting work out of place with the company’s values.
• Communication and relationships with management: The world of work is changing; hot desking, remote, part time and flexible working is challenging the way that employees and employers communicate and it is all too easy for employees to feel isolated or cut off from the business that they are working for.  Employers could explore whether their existing communication methods are working or if additional channels harnessing new technology, such as employee apps, could be the key to better understanding and a faster flow of information.

• Development and Control: Job satisfaction is clearly linked with the amount of control employees feel they have over their own destiny in terms of both the scope of their role and the opportunities for personal and professional development. The aggregated research found that less than half of employees felt that they had enough opportunities for development.

 

Looking at these top factors, it is interesting but slightly disappointing that despite the vast amount of evidence to show a valued workforce is a loyal workforce and that happy employees are at the heart of driving forward productivity we are still discussing how to actually engage workers. Granted, there is no single solution to achieve engagement but if employers can communicate effectively with each individual, listen to their thoughts and help to guide them through their career, this will not only give the employee a sense of belonging but also maintain engagement. While this can be tricky, it is worth the time and investment, after all, we spend much of our adult lives in the workplace so why not make it as enjoyable experience as possible.