Managing Employee Engagement - Essay Example

Running head: МАNАGING ЕMРLОYЕЕ ЕNGАGЕMЕNT Маnаging Еmрlоyее Еngаgеmеnt [writer’s name] [ institution’s name] Маnаging Еmрlоyее Еngаgеmеnt Introduction Every organization requires motivated and hardworking employees; this is only possible if the engagement level of the employee is high enough to perform at his/her best. The management and leaders have the sole responsibility to enhance such qualities I their employees so that they become completely engaged towards the organization. This paper shall analyze such a relationship between performance, high engagement level and leadership strategies in enhancing the before mentioned concept. Analysis Employees must always remain high on motivation, organizational commitment, and trust if an organization is to become productive. Before evaluating the before mentioned relationship between performance, high engagement level and leadership strategies it is important to define and explain the concept of being “engaged” to an organization or showing engagement towards an organization. “Engaged” can be defined as being involved or being committed to a certain thing . Workers consider themselves to be engaged when they feel that their job has personal meaning and motivation , get positive interpersonal encouragement , and work in a well-organized office environment. Such an employee considers the outcome to be apart of his/her own result, with the wish to contribute to accomplishing more than just their personal goals. Thus it may be said an employee who is highly a motivated and inspired may be considered as an engaged employee as well. However, building an engaged workforce is still a challenge for a lot of organizations. As it needs successful leadership and many additional organizational factors to aid employees to find their full ability and worth. Mainly with an unpredictable economy, organizations must give attention to increasing employee productivity and existing organizational income. Sufficient revenues may be identified by an organization through most advantageous engagement of its employees’ awareness, talent capability, and enthusiasm. Employee Engagement may also be considered as the extent to which employee loyalty, both emotional and logical, is present during accomplishing the work, aim, and objective of the organization. Engagement may also be considered the as the highest degree of ownership in which every employee desires to do anything they can for the gain of their internal and external customers, as well as for the growth of the organization. Employee engagement is considered in scholarly research by Hater al. (2009). A restructured description of job satisfaction, Hater et al.'s prominent explanation of engagement was as given under: "An employee's involvement with, commitment to, and satisfaction with work. Employee engagement is a part of employee retention." (Smith et al., 1969) According to Meyer & Allen, (1991) this shows that the concept is closely related to classic characteristics of job satisfaction along with organizational commitment . Most current meta-analysis may be valuable in understanding the effect of engagement. ‘a positive attitude held by the employee towards the organization and its values. An engaged employee is aware of business context, and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organization. The organization must work to develop and nurture engagement, which requires a two-way relationship between employer and employee.’ (Robinson 2004) Linkage research attained considerable awareness in the business community due to the correlations among employee engagement and enviable business results for example retention of professionals , customer service, personal performance, team performance, and department’s productivity. A little of this research has also been studied considering the diversity context , as proper management of diversity is also at times a sole reason why employees do not get engaged towards the organization. lately employee engagement has gained a lot of attention in organizations for the use of retention so that costly employee replacement expenditure may be reduced due to employees who willingly quit their jobs. Society of Human Resource Management consider employee engagement is necessary for the productivity of any organization (Brady etal 2008). It particularly helps in giving strong support to organizations, but the most important issue is the methods which leaders use inorder to improve employee engagement. As a relationship of trust and confidence develops among employees and their managers employee engagement increases. It may also be pointed out that the direct manager even plays a essential part in offering acknowledgment and admiration and providing employees with better opportunities for involvement. Employee engagement may also be increased by providing opportunities to the staff for personal growth and development, promote building their ability. Lastly, employees love their job, being eager regarding their work and giving support for work/life balance in order to increase their levels of engagement. Employee engagement is based on analyses of both four important macro drivers of: Confidence and Trust, Recognition and Respect, Growth and Development, Work and Balance. (MacLeod & Clarke 2009) It was pointed out before that High Performance-Engagement Model, is essentially based on macro drivers which are responsible for the majority of the causative factors which effect the level of employee engagement. Organizations which desire to improve their employee engagement may improve it by means of several methods. Senior mangers/leaders may improve it by means of their vision and communication, they develop a strong relationship of confidence and trust with the employee, and in turn the employee will trust the organization (Ayers 2008). Leadership also holds responsibility for building trust through showing employees that they are appreciated and that the organization is concerned about their happiness and their personal growth and development by doing this, employees respond to the organization in a positive manner. Performance and talent management systems may be used by managers so that they may take ample advantage of opportunities for acknowledgment as well as deal with the issue of employee rewards. Managers may also plan, promote, and encourage employees’ hard work for growth and development (Kahn 1990). Managers can control the workflow and official tasks , by giving employees responsibilities which compliment their skills and capabilities, or that might extend their development by means of attaining new skills. The Human Resources may be able to play an essential role in planning work that is motivating and rewarding as well as, along with managers, supervise employees on accepting the tasks, providing a balanced work/life and engaging job in the organization. Evidently, in both meaning and composition, a difference tends to lye between performance excellence and employee engagement. A company might have strong performance excellence, however it may have (Harter etal 2002). Weak employee engagement. This is not something which organizations would prefer in their environment. Preferably, an organization should be strong in both aspects i.e. performance excellence and employee engagement. If an organization has attainted the before mentioned level, its objective is to continue that twin focus, by recurrently instructing and motivating leaders and managers in the entire organization. High Performance-Engagement Model Defined A high performance organization is dedicated to premium products as well as services and, it truly even specializes in making loyal customers who play the role of advocates for them . Employees examine a strong importance on promptly correcting customer issues and on constant development leadership practices, like utilizing employee data as well as customer feedback to improve and develop better work practices (Harter etal 2002). It may also be noted that, the staff of high performance organizations have comprehensible performance values, get the training required to fulfill their new demands. They are even encouraged to take part in decisions which concern their work and to be inventive. The employee may also specify that co-worker collaboration in goal achievement is strong. As for an engaged workforce employees there have a strong sense of organizational satisfaction, proactively advocate their organization as a excellent place for a job and are dedicated to continue working with their employer as they are extremely satisfied with the organization and it’s management (Kruse 2012). Their high level of employee engagement may stem from having trustworthy leaders and managers, they motivate their self-confidence regarding their development and growth, managers who knows exactly the quality of work of employees and take care of them courteously, opportunities for growth and development, and provide tasks according to the employees abilities and interests. This kind of workforce is more associated with organizational trend and more eager to apply flexible effort for accomplishing their goal.. Leadership Requirements Not unexpectedly, an organization’s accomplishment is essentially reliant on the abilities and decisions of its leaders and managers. The High Performance-Engagement Model highlights the fact that it is the task of leaders to create values and apply practices that equally facilitate high performance and promotes an environment that encourages employee engagement. Strong organizational performance may be encouraged via remained focused on the leadership practices regarding customer point of reference, giving importation to quality , employee training and taking part in the decision making process (Macey, 2008). When the before mentioned leadership practices exist and are constantly implemented, both employee engagement and organizational performance improves. Similarly, employee engagement is evidently an important element in attaining constant organizational progress (Argyris 1998). Research has clearly shown that when leadership encourage and motivate trust and confidence in the upcoming development and growth , and managers acknowledge and value employees, guarantee that they are growing and developing, and are suitable enough to accomplish the given tasks , in such an environment employee engagement is definitely higher. If Employee engagement, is used for the purpose of high performance work values and practices, it may give the organization the highest returns. The organization may be successful, in both important areas customer satisfaction as well as financial performance, this may only be possible if leaders support all factors which are important to enhance employee engagement (Kruse 2012). To develop performance, a key area for could be the involvement of employees. Barely 48% of employees think that their leaders support involvement in making decisions that is concerned their own job. Thus, it may be said that less than half of all employees are feel the need to propose actions to improve the whole workflow process, as well as to provide their insight regarding customer desires and requirements. Such actions may even result into the next huge sale or into practice improvements that potentially could decrease an organization’s useless processes which have previously caused them loss (Axelrod, 2000). . If leaders and managers implement methods to use employee recommendations for the growth and development of the organizations, then they may be able to improve their competence, efficiency, customer retention and output. They must also be aware of the fact that organizational caring along with employee involvement, like guaranteeing safety also improves employee engagement. Leaders these days have to be capable enough to create stimulating workplaces that beyond doubt engage employees to give their best performance to their organization. For this they have to make sure those leaders and managers have a complete knowledge of the growth and development of their employees in context of engagement. Previously many studies have been conducted on employee engagement in which a lot have employees at different positions and in different departments were studied (Harter 2002). The results yielded many striking similarities in elements which have a positive effect on engagement and the personal investment of workers towards their organization. Being part of a winning organization: Employees desire to know if their organizations is one of the top ones or not. In simpler terms they want to find out if the organization is financially sound, or that it is acknowledged as an innovative symbol among customers, or if the organization has ambitious objective, core purpose, and a well organized and sound business strategy. If employees realize that all the above are prefect then their engagement towards the organization is 100%. Working for Admired Leaders Employees want to work for Admired leaders; this may be an extremely important non-monetary factor for engagement and performance (Baetz, 1997). Organizations having a strong network of well-liked managers enhance high engagement on the part of the employee. Having Positive Working Relationships Employees usually require positive working relationships with their high level and professional upper management. They feel good even if they get a chance to interact with other highly talented and professional co-workers who have sound knowledge of their field of work. . Doing Meaningful Work Meaningful work may be considered as a task that makes a difference or has an effect to the organization. Employees usually wish to evaluate how their work affects the organization’s vision and stratagem (Bayne 1998). Workers even wish to know if the organization’s customers are satisfied by the work they are doing. Recognition and Appreciation: Recognition is an extremely essential element of employee engagement. Recognition could be including monetary rewards and compensation, however it may even mean appreciation and direct feedback that employees get from the top management. The above mentioned recognition and appreciation shows that employees are appreciated and that their input is recognized by the organization (Bowen etal 1992). Recognition could even be considered by means of the leaders noticing the frequently unnoticed work that employees perform , to help in the growth and development of the organizations. Living A Balanced Life: Organizations That Create Cultures which give importance to balance, and help employees to get life balance may have a staff consisting of highly engaged employees (Byham & Cox 1997). Work-life balance may not be confused with the notion that employees are not loyal, neither are they committed to their organizations, it may be considered as the desire to lead their entire lives, not lives only focused or based on work. When leaders realize the factors which may facilitate employee engagement, then the managers may be successful in creating the conditions which facilitate higher levels of organizational performance The strategy which may be implemented for creating an engaged employees is to turn them into a passionate workforce. The most realized fact is that no other person in the company even, if it is a co- worker in the company cannot enhance enthusiasm in the employee. The only person who can do so is the leader of the organization i.e. the CEO. In spite of the common notion that that employee engagement is an important concept for organizations, the extent of its effect on the organization’s bottom line yet seems to be misapprehended by a lot of managers and leaders. Most employees do not like putting froth their issues if an organization has such a leader that doesn’t value highly engaged employees, in fact at times even the top management rarely implement the theories (Covey1997). Such leaders and management is usually a failed one as they can not enhance the productivity of their organization It may also be noted that most leaders and managers know that the concept is an important one but rarely implement it . here it may be noted that they carry on to putting a lot of effort and assets for designing the prefect the corporate strategy, nevertheless they appear to be unacquainted of which factors can prevent their strategy from being implemented successfully. Not shockingly, employee engagement is frequently the vital missing factor. If mangers and leaders want their organizations to be productive they have to also play the role of the chief engagement officer(Finck, 1998). Functioning in a vacuum and not being updated regarding the new management and motivational theories is not a good practice for leaders who want to induce employee engagement in their work force. The managers and leaders must constantly support the importance of walking the floor, attending meetings on an unplanned visit , treating the staff of all ranks to have lunch, and other innovative strategies by which the management can develop and close relationship with the staff and focus on increasing their internal awareness and creating a motivated workforce (Axelrod 2000). Managers must always remember that the highly engaged employees will always use their talent for the good of the organization (regardless of position), thus leaders and managers should build their strategy around them around. Because if the organization is unsuccessful in getting the talented employees to become engaged towards the organization and make efforts for their contribution, then they must try harder as without them the organization cannot be successful (Gandy & Lowe 2001). It must be noted that employee engagement enhances passion which is a positive trait, and employees can use this trait for the benefit of the organization. . This is due to the fact that passionate employees are creative, eager, committed and devoted resources. Apathetic employees promptly become disenfranchised responsibilities that will impair both productivity as well as self-esteem. It may be said that engaged employee who re talented and professional may be not only beneficial for the organization but also to the leaders and managers as they may help them gain promotion by their performance (Harter 2002). Many famous companies become well known due to their employees commitment and handwork . When one enters a energetic, flourishing company one may feel the passion, a particular buzz and dedication that infuses all the work processes (: Simon 2011). Compare this with a with a company whose employee feel as if it has no life, the employees are dull and no sense of creativity or passion can be felt. One old saying comes to mind that : “the only thing worse than an employee who quits and leaves is the employee who quits and stays”(Myatt 2009) As a leader one must realize the fact understand that your employees not just require a good leader but one who is extremely but one who is extremely passionate in his/her work eventually employees desire to be passionate regarding their job; as a matter of fact , they may sacrifice a lot of their one needs to fulfill their responsibilities if they are committed enough to their job.. A good example of this is the staff of the well known Gates and Allen at Microsoft, or the staff which worked with Phil Knight in his garage this was when the company first started it has not even kept it’s brand name Nike. Yet another example is the staff which worked extremely hard the when Google just started with Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Katzenbach 2000) . It may be noted that due to the fact that the employees were dedicated enough is what turned the organization into atop notch organization of the business world today business, To help make the company an extremely successful one, the top management must motivate the employee enough to even sacrifice their personal lives for them, they have to make the employee feel passion regarding their organization and to make the aim and objectives part of themselves .inorder words they have to must get the staff engaged enough to work whole heartily for them. . A good manger and leader , should have the ability to transfer their enthusiasm to the staff , this is the true quintessence of a good manager and leader . this holds so much importance , that if one cannot fulfill this responsibility he /she may not be considered a good leader (Clark 2012). One simply can’t be a great leader. Leader and manager need to know exactly what will excite the employee enough to take their organization towards success. Once they successful find that out and implement it as apart of their strategy they w ill get engaged employee. . Strategic Communications Planning Implementing an method known as the , Management’s Strategic Communications may be the answer to the leader’s issues, as it aids organizations develop their capability to carry out on the business strategy by making certain that each employee values as well as is engaged for attaining the business aims and objectives . By performing an internal examination of present communications processes, categorizing target audiences, successfully developing and giving focused messages with clear performance aims, companies may be able to deliver concise, constant messages that clarify the company’s business strategies in a matter-of-fact language for employees (Simon 2011). Wellness and Productivity Management The leader’s approach may assist organizations to recognize the fundamental causes which may have an impact on employee performance. Managers can measure organizational wellness through calculating the joint wellbeing and engagement of the employee (Clark 2012). Moreover they must then correlate the results to important drivers of productivity in the workplace. This may help managers and leaders to make precise and conversant decisions regarding targeted and valuable intervention which may have a positive effect on the productivity with other organizational performance measures. Retention Strategies Once managers and leaders find out the drivers regarding employee satisfaction, dedication to the organization, pride, and encouragement, they may able to make an employee highly commitment and in turn the employee may contribute to the growth and development of the organization. Issues regarding Engagement It may also be noted that engagement levels may fluctuate, when it comes to a diversity of personal and job qualities along with experiences at job. Some key these levels usually helps the managers and leaders to manage the engagement of their employees. Some of the issue which manager face are give below Engagement in employees may become less as they get older . till they turn sixty plus , here many times the engagement of employees may rise, thus it may ironically be noted that the older the employee the more engaged he gets (Filipczak 1998). Managers and leaders usually have higher engagement levels as compared to their co-workers in supporting roles, while employees in who are co-workers of managers seem to show more loyalty to their job than to the company they work for. At times it may also be noted that engagement levels decrease as the time period of the service increases , if the employee has had an accident or an injury during work , or experiencing harassment all may have a negative effect t on the commitment of the employee. Conclusion Employee engagement is an important driver of an organization’s success and staff performance. recently employee engagement has attained much attention in organizations inoder to handle the issue of retention so that costly organizations can work smoothly and effectively. Managers and leaders ability to recognize the degree of engagement in a particular staff and set standard by means of which the engagement can be facilitated is an important part of employee engagement practices. References Argyris, Chris (1998). Empowerment: The Emperor's New Clothes. Harvard Business Review . 98-105 pp. Axelrod, Richard H (2000). Terms of Engagement: Changing the Way We Change Organizations. 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