State of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Human Resource Management: A 2023 Report
State of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Human Resource Management: A 2023 Report
Employee disengagement is a global problem. Gallup’s study on workforce engagement found that, globally, 85% of employees are disengaged at work. It means they are not working at their full potential and do not add much value to the business.
The effect of disengagement has been compounded by the changing business landscape and the economic downturn, which have struck hard on employees and businesses alike.
How do organizations then plan to stay productive and throttle at their full potential?
Enters employee engagement surveys, which help measure employees’ involvement and commitment to their jobs and provide insights into the various aspects of workplace engagement.
Interested in knowing how to effectively use engagement surveys to increase the productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, and commitment of employees? Then read on to the end to find out how to fix employee disengagement.
In this article, we will discuss the intricacies of employee engagement and discuss the following:
Employee engagement is a measure of the level of dedication, enthusiasm, and passion that employees have for their work and the organization. It is the zeal and desire that employees have to go above and beyond their job roles.
Engaged employees are invested in their jobs and contribute more to the success of the company than their disengaged counterparts. They are more productive, more likely to stay with the company, and deliver high-quality work.
“Employee engagement is often considered the cornerstone of business success. Engaged employees show more commitment towards business goals and values and help organizations succeed. They are ready to go the extra mile when needed, and they believe in making a difference through their efforts.” Srikant Chellappa, Founder & President, Engagedly
It is the responsibility of the leaders to engage their employees in order to be successful in a dynamic marketplace. They can enhance engagement by establishing proper communication channels, making employees feel a part of the organizational journey, providing regular feedback, and offering rewards for excellent performance.
The following key drivers of employee engagement must be monitored frequently by HR leaders to improve workforce engagement:
By promoting employee engagement, organizations can foster a positive and productive work environment, which ultimately leads to better business outcomes.
Also Read: Best Employee Engagement Strategies for Better Workplace
An employee engagement survey is a tool used to measure the engagement level, commitment, and satisfaction of employees within an organization.
The survey typically includes a set of standardized questions that employees are asked to answer anonymously. The various aspects that surveys focus on are employee experience, communication, work-life balance, recognition, and career development opportunities.
The data collected through surveys is analyzed to identify the current engagement levels of employees, initiatives that are working well, and bottlenecks that need to be removed. Furthermore, the feedback provided by employees can help take actionable steps to improve overall employee engagement, satisfaction, performance, and experience.
It is important for organizations to regularly measure and monitor employee engagement to enhance the employee experience and help them stay productive. Implementing engagement initiatives such as employee recognition programs, professional development opportunities, and open communication channels can help boost engagement at different levels of the organization.
Also Read: 6 Smart Tools to Measure Employee Engagement
The following facts and figures demonstrate the clear link between employee engagement and business outcomes and highlight the importance of investing in employee engagement for organizations.
Also Read: How To Set Employee Engagement OKRs To Make A Real Difference
To remain competitive in a dynamic and ever-changing business environment, organizations need a dedicated, engaged, and productive workforce. This has led to a surge in the use of employee engagement surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data to make consistent improvements in employee engagement and experience.
Studies have shown that employees who actively participate in employee engagement surveys tend to be more invested in their jobs and actively contribute to the growth of the organization.
On the other hand, disengaged employees show decreased productivity and can even lead to negative customer experiences.
“Engaged employees are the driving force behind any successful organization, they are the ones who bring passion and purpose to their work, and ultimately drive the growth and success of the company. Investing in employee engagement not only improves morale and productivity, but also leads to higher retention rates and a stronger bottom line.” Jayashankar Balaraman – Founder CEO
There could be various reasons for disengagement, such as dissatisfaction with the job role, a lack of trust in the survey process, distrust in management, a lack of communication skills, or a fear of giving honest feedback.
Disengagement is costly, and to combat it, organizations conduct employee engagement surveys that serve multiple purposes, such as:
Employee engagement is critical to the success of an organization. It helps businesses improve their overall performance by creating an engaged, dynamic, and committed workforce. Much research has shown that engagement is an indicator of progress, and companies with higher engagement indices do well, even in unprecedented situations.
An employee engagement survey touches upon all aspects of a business and is known to benefit the following:
Also Read: 21 Best Employee Engagement Activities Your Team Will Actually Love
When creating employee engagement surveys, it is important to consider the following best practices:
Also Read: HR Leaders Strategies to Running Engagement Surveys
Creating an employee engagement survey is a tedious task. It requires months of planning to address the areas that the survey should touch upon and the involvement of employees from every level of the organization.
To yield actionable results from surveys, HR managers should consider forming a cross-functional team of experts to look into different aspects of survey creation.
The following points highlight the extensive process of creating employee engagement surveys:
Also Read: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Engagement Survey
Asking the right questions in employee engagement surveys is crucial, as it ensures that the survey addresses pressing issues, provides valuable insights, and solicits employee feedback.
Clear, relevant, and unbiased questions help to gather accurate data, identify patterns and trends, and inform actions for improvement.
Additionally, it also helps to establish trust and confidence among employees that their feedback is valued and taken into account. You can refer to the below questions while drafting the survey:
An employee engagement template is a tool that organizations can use to measure and track employee engagement levels. It typically includes a set of questions and/or surveys that employees are asked to complete, as well as a framework for analyzing the data collected and identifying areas for improvement.
Here is an example of an employee engagement template’s components:
It’s important to note that employee engagement surveys are not a one-time solution; they are an ongoing process. It’s important to track progress over time and make adjustments as needed.
Additionally, it’s also important to use a comprehensive employee engagement survey that is validated and benchmarked. With a validated survey, you can be sure that the results are reliable and meaningful.
The employee engagement survey forms the baseline for creating an action plan and implementing it across the organization. The real job starts after collecting the responses of employees in various key focus areas.
Response data has to be thoroughly analyzed and subjected to various tests to check for validity and accuracy. To get the most out of the survey results, management must follow the following steps to create a strategic action plan:
Engagedly’s E3 (Engage, Enable, and Execute) powered platform makes employee engagement surveys a breeze for your organization. You can seamlessly create surveys, collect responses, analyze them, and implement the insights offered by the tool.
Engagedly, in partnership with HR domain expert Edie Goldberg (Ph.D., Industrial and Organizational Psychology), has developed an E10 employee engagement survey to simplify measuring employee engagement. It helps you accomplish the following:
Aaron Adams is an advisor for Engagedly, where he develops and implements strategic talent solutions that help support and drive the organization’s talent and business strategies. He holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Wayne State University and has worked as a Right Management consultant and an OD consultant for a Fortune 20 Company. Currently, he leads Engagedly Teams responsible for onboarding, training, and consulting services.