I am delighted to share a guest blog from Shamila Mhearban, guest on the Rocking Your Role Radio show, she asks, do you have an engaged workforce?
What makes one SME more successful then another? Better services, technologies or cost structure? All contribute to a better performance in your chosen market place but these can be copied over time by your competitors. But not your people. Studies have shown that an engaged workforce will consistently out perform a disengaged workforce time and time again, meaning that the value of an engaged workforce can be directly measured as ROI.
What is Employee Engagement?
Employee Engagement is a workplace approach that is designed to ensure all staff are committed to the value and ethos of their organisation, are genuinely motivated in helping their organisation succeed and at the same time, are also able to enhance their own sense of well-being.
An Engaged Employer has genuine and authentic values with clear evidence of fairness and trust that is based on mutual respect. They foster an environment where feedback is valued and two way promises between staff and employees are understood and fulfilled.
Although improved performance and productivity is at the heart of engagement, it cannot be achieved by a mechanical approach which tries to extract discretionary effort by manipulating employees’ commitment and emotions. Employees see through such attempts very quickly; they lead instead to cynicism and disillusionment. By contrast, engaged employees freely and willingly give discretionary effort, not as an ‘add on’, but as an integral part of their daily activity at work
5 Tips to having engaged more productive employees
· Help your employees understand the value of your investment in them. Clear communication by management and external bodies can have a real impact on how a business is viewed by its employees
· Outline Goals and Expectations from the outset. This allows each employee to take ownership of their role and manage expectations accordingly, increasing job satisfaction.
· Feedback. Often overlooked in SMEs good feedback allows you to track whether messages have reached the intended individual/ group and had the desired effect.
· Tackle employee questions. Addressing concerns, questions and issues of employees, no matter inconvenient or insignificant they may seem, increases trust in management and loyalty to the organisation.
· Be consistent in your communication. Having set processes and procedures in place such as inductions, appraisals and exit interviews ensures that everyone is equipped with the same information and feels equally valued within the organisation
At Gingko people we subscribe to the idea that good business is all about
You can view Shamila’s interview on You Tube
Jenny Garrett is the Award Winning Coach and founder of Reflexion Associates, a leadership and coaching consultancy. She’s also the author of Rocking Your Role, a how-to guide to success for female breadwinners.