Retention and Employee Engagement—Part 2

SAP Recruiter Podcast | ASAP Talent Services

Welcome back to part two of our series! Today we’ll focus on the importance of employee engagement and how it can impact your company as a whole.

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Last time in part one of this series, we discussed strategies for boosting employee retention. Today in part two, we’ll focus on another important aspect of being an employer: employee engagement.
Since 2010, numerous studies have come out that have really enlightened us as to what constitutes employee engagement, how it impacts productivity, and how it impacts employee retention. These studies have suggested that up to 80% of people don’t like their jobs and that dissatisfaction influences their disengagement.
But what do those employees look like? Well, those are the people that might distract themselves with social media throughout the day. Their lightbulbs aren’t on, they just seem unmotivated, and they don’t rally behind their company’s mission.
Why is it that people seem to be disengaged from their jobs? Well, the studies found that there are two key reasons:
1. They feel undervalued
2. They’re dissatisfied with the company’s leadership
This reminds me of a great quote by Simon Sinek: “Leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in our charge.” Studies have also shown that employees with lower engagement are four times more likely to leave than those who are highly engaged, so we know this is an important topic.

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Leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in our charge.

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C-suite executives view this issue as one of the top issues that constitute a threat to their business, and it actually ends up costing the U.S. One study said that the issue of employee disengagement costs the country at large over $400 billion a year.
So what can be done to alleviate this problem? Here are a couple of things to think about in your own business:
1. Build trust in leadership. This includes middle-management, not just c-suite management. We have to show our people that we truly care about them personally, not just professionally, and we have to act with integrity. People in our organizations can see how we act behind closed doors as well as how we act with our customers.
2. Demonstrate competence. If mid-management is disengaged, it can trickle down to the people who work in their groups. What’s important isn’t what we do as a job function—it’s about why we do it. The question, then, is how do we capture our mission to change our communities and leave a lasting impact in our one-on-one, daily, and weekly meetings?
Ultimately, the first step to solving these issues is to realize how important it is, and now that we know what we can do, tactically speaking, to help move the needle in the area of employee engagement. Shifting your own perspective, and therefore your employees’, can have a huge spillover effect when it comes to retaining your top talent and increasing your organization’s productivity.
If you have any questions or comments about this topic, feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to have a conversation with you.