Managing People: Workforce Engagement and Leadership - Coursework Example

Managing People: Workforce Engagement and Leadership Name Course Name and Code Date The business world is becoming more competitive, and some organizations concentrate on competition forgetting the importance of employees in organizations strategies. It is imperative for organizations to advance the requirements of employees through different frameworks. Workforce engagement is an example of the framework, which can be employed in advancing the necessities of the organizations. Workforce engagement is a framework for measuring employees’ willingness to give their discretionary effort in helping an organization to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Extensive studies and researchers have been done, and numerous factors contribute to workforce engagement including the role of leadership. The essay discusses the role of leadership in advancing workforce engagement. The quality of leadership influences other employees within an organization. The leaders’ level of engagement is crucial since the leaders would be able to engage other employees (Saran, 2014). It is premised on the understanding of followers through highlighting variables of engagement, which includes mentorship and role models (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). The engaged leaders are able to utilize their experiences and skills to ensure other employees in the organization are engaged (Davies, 2008). Without engaged leadership, organizations are unable to engage the minds and hearts of their employees. Hence, the leaders have to lead as examples in ensuring workforce engagement is achieved. The engagement is also attributed to the changing position of leaders in the organization from directing the employees to leading the employees. Leaders have to appreciate the importance of building honest and trust communication. The communication process should define the direction and to motivate the employees in organizational ideologies (Tims, Bakker and Xanthopoulou, 2011). The leaders have to communicate about the reality of the business through highlighting mission and vision of the organization (Xu and Cooper, 2011). The leaders have to inspire vision and creating enabling environments to achieve organizational requirements (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). Strong leadership and effective communication are crucial during the difficult time since the employees would appreciate the assistance from the management of the organization (Breevaart et al., 2014). The leadership communication should be forthright and frequent, in ensuring the questions employees ask are answered (Xu and Cooper, 2011). The entire purpose of leadership communication is to make the employees feel they are listened even though, at times, the leadership is unable to solve the issues. The purpose is employees’ concerns are being heard, and this is possible through effective communication by leaders, which translates to workforce engagement. The leadership has to come across as connected with the workforce. The leadership has to communicate effectively the organization’s objectives and goals (Vestal, 2012). The leadership also has consistently to demonstrate the values and culture of the organization in all actions and behaviors (Xu and Cooper, 2011). The connection is to ensure the leaders and the employees are at the same level through balancing the organization's interest and the interests of the employee (Tims, Bakker, and Xanthopoulou, 2011). Through these processes, the workforce is filled with excitement for the organization's future. Connecting with the employees enables understanding the challenges and problems of the employees, and through addressing these problems, it is possible to solve the problems (Nasomboon, 2014). Hence, the connection improves employee engagement through aligning organizational requirements and employee interests. Leaders have to engage the employees in career opportunities. Employees aim to advance their careers and receiving advice from the management through providing formal coaching, and mentoring programs are important (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). The leaders have to make time for the workforce, establish clear career paths and talent management strategy. The leaders should highlight the skills and opportunities associated with project work (Ahmed et al. 2015). In such processes, the leaders guide the operations and inspire the employees towards advancing the requirements of the organization. Through investment in the workforce, the workforce is empowered into aligning their respective skills towards organizational requirements. In an organization, different entities are involved in completing an organizational project. The leaders in these organizations have to appreciate the importance of collaboration and continuous development (Xu and Cooper, 2011). The employees have to feel they are valued and appreciated, and this is possible through collaboration. The management or leadership may have different strategic proposals and it is important to cooperate with the employees in determining formulation and implementation of the strategies (Tims, Bakker and Xanthopoulou, 2011). The views of the employees have to be integrated into the final decisions and extensive discussions and engagement done to raise awareness of the project requirements (Breevaart et al., 2014). During the collaboration, aspects of engagement in terms of collecting views and aligning the views to strategic requirements would raise prominence. It is imperative that it is not compulsory for the implementation of the views of the employees but considering these views creates workforce engagement (Rahman and Nas, 2013). The assumption is based on the employees are engaged, and that engagement feeling ensures the requirements of the organization and strategies are capitalized. Accountability and integrity are some variables that advances the requirements of the organization. The accountability should be two way to ensure the employees are engaged. For example, the organization leaders have to uphold high standards of accountability and integrity. The employees will then borrow these values from the leaders and utilize to improve the organizations. Workforce engagement has to be viewed from different angles and actions may advance the engagement requirements (Tims, Bakker and Xanthopoulou, 2011). For instance, if the leaders have high standards of moral and ethical credibility, such levels can be transferred to the employees and these employees engaged in organizational requirements. Communication is one process of learning about an organization and employees can also analyze an organization through observations through the leaders (Pandita and Bedarkar, 2015). The communication within the organization such as unethical and immoral activities may affect the urge of employees to continue operating effectively and being associated with the organization. Thus, leaders have to uphold high standards of accountability and integrity so that the employees can imitate. An open door policy is a communication policy that a leader encourage transparency and openness with the employees of that organization. The employees are encouraged to visit the offices or engage the leaders to address problems, discuss suggestions, ask questions, and concerns with management (Xu and Cooper, 2011). An open door policy aim is to foster mutual respect, discuss suggestions, and ask questions between the employees and leaders (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). The open door policy is a management mechanism and practice, which serves to champion workforce morale and empowerment, with the aims of improving corporate ethical standards, growth, productivity and efficiency (Tims, Bakker and Xanthopoulou, 2011). These numerous processes are important because it encourages the employees to contribute to organizations and have the capacities to query any action or decision. In addition, it is easier to highlight shortcomings and complaints, which sometimes affects the morale and inspiration of the employees. Therefore, employee engagement can be championed by leaders in advancing open door policy in ensuring the employees are engaged. Organizational structure and management of the employees and general organization operations. However, in recruitment and hiring of the employees, certain skills and experiences were asked including human resource developed provisions. Such approaches are usually proposed and supported by the leaders. The leaders have to give the employees anatomy in their respective operations because of the skills and experiences discussed during the recruitment and hiring periods (Tims, Bakker, and Xanthopoulou, 2011). The employees have to utilize their skills and allowed to make decisions based on their experiences and skills. Following and directing the employees sometimes affects workforce engagement because they perceive the leaders do not have trust to appreciate their skills and experiences (Chandani et al. 2016). In an organization, numerous employees are employed and to engage these employees, it is important to give the employees freedom of operation; if the employees feel they are trusted, the chances increase of work satisfaction creating an aspect of workforce engagement (Babcock-Roberson and Strickland, 2010). Therefore, the workforce engagement because efficient and successful provided the trust and anatomy are championed. A culture of responsive engagement is important. The leaders have to ask for feedback and address themes of the feedback. It can be in the form of suggestions or proposals, and the leaders have to integrate some of these feedbacks to the development of organization (Babcock-Roberson and Strickland, 2010). The employees should not shy in requesting for directions or feel they will be penalized or viewed negatively by the management. Leaders have to create a feedback-oriented environment encouraging the employees to see the significance of their different contributions to the organization (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). The workforce engagement incorporates the word engagement meaning the needs and views of the employees have to be considered. The consideration has to integrate the goals and objectives of the organization, and the proposed future of the organization (Tims, Bakker, and Xanthopoulou, 2011). The feedback should be immediate and reflect the importance of the organization. Some employees may require immediate feedback, and dealing the feedback may degrade the value of feedback environment. Thus, constructive feedback framework championed by the management is important in advancing the workforce engagement and associated dynamics. Fostering meaningful relationship is crucial in accomplishing the requirements of workforce engagement. The relationship should go beyond the normal workplace requirements and incorporate aspects of personal or individual tasks. For example, organizations that recognizes the birthdays and specialize periods of an employee increases positive interaction, which contributes to meaningful relationship (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). Through cultivating meaningful relationships, leaders ensure the employees appreciates the purpose of their work and take self-importance in both organization and individual work as a whole (Ford and Harding, 2011). A strong bond between the employee and leaders in an organization is an essential component in pride building. Pride, trust and relationship are integral in workforce engagement. The meaningful relationship is associated with continual recognition through description on the direction the organization takes and also provides constructive criticism (Tims, Bakker and Xanthopoulou, 2011). The meaningful relationship incorporates one-to-one interactions such as picking phone and tone of communication. Fostering meaningful relationship incorporate numerous variables, which defines engagement between the different employees within the organization (Babcock-Roberson and Strickland, 2010). The target is not the leadership alone but the approach the leadership takes in advancing positive interaction and engagement (Xu and Cooper, 2011). If meaningful relationship is fostered within the organization, the relationship between or among the different employees is encouraged resulting in workforce engagement. In conclusion, the business world is dynamic and keep changing requiring effective workforce engagement. Workforce engagement is the internal urge for the employees to complete assigned duties and be contented with the employees. Leaders play an important role in championing workforce engagement. The leaders have numerous tools, which can be employed in advancing workforce engagement. Effective communication, fostering meaningful relationship, open door policy, honest and true communications and employees’ autonomy are some of areas that leaders can utilize to ensure the employees are engaged. The leaders have the resource and can distribute the resources to reflect and address the requirements of the employees. The leaders are tasked with leading, managing and assigning resources in which the leaders can consider the employees. Effective leadership has to incorporate different dynamics of business and appreciate employees has a significant asset to the organization. Strategies such as constructive criticism, timely feedback, and collaboration assists in formulating and implementing strategies in light of organizational requirements. Hence, effective leadership is integral to advancing workforce engagement. References Ahmed, U., Phulpoto, W., Umrani, W.A. and Abbas, S.I., 2015. Diving Deep in Employee Training to Understand Employee Engagement. Business and Economics Journal, 2016. Babcock-Roberson, M.E. and Strickland, O.J., 2010. The relationship between charismatic leadership, work engagement, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Journal of Psychology, 144(3), pp. 313-326. Breevaart, K., Bakker, A., Hetland, J., Demerouti, E., Olsen, O.K. and Espevik, R., 2014. 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