Why engagement and workplace efficiency go hand in hand
The late and great Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs made a pertinent point when he said: ‘Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do’.1 But, with research revealing that 85 per cent of employees worldwide feel disengaged with their job or workplace, it appears something is severely amiss when it comes to employees loving what they do.2
Overemphasising process and efficiencies can leave employees feeling increasingly dissatisfied, stressed and frustrated over the lack of control they have in their job, career and even their life. With disillusionment having a negative effect on productivity, it’s time for organisations to re-evaluate their engagement strategies — and reject the ‘daily grind’. Better businesses emphasise opportunities that combine health, engagement and culture, to create a motivational environment in which people want to work.
Punching a clock is no longer enough
Expectations are now greater because of a heightened awareness of wellbeing, particularly among millennials. On the whole, their experiences growing up have influenced them to view good work-life balance as a career-long job prerequisite. Many of the best talent prospects are therefore looking for a workplace where they feel they belong. They want to enjoy showing up and participating in a culture of development, progression and support.
Cultivating an aspirational community of achievers is one of the most significant wellbeing opportunities for employers. With happiness and fulfilment comes loyalty and discretionary effort: namely the willingness of employees to go the extra mile to deliver their best. Loyalty is also key to reducing staff turnover — and with average annual turnover at approximately 15 per cent in the UK, engagement should be top of the agenda.3
Striking the all-important balance
The need for efficiency is not going away any time soon, but putting in place a robust strategy to improve engagement helps support both of these goals. If done right, engagement will become the driving force.
For example, offering agile working represents a great way to efficiently increase engagement. Most employees (89 per cent) consider flexible working a key motivator of their productivity at work — even more so than financial incentives (77 per cent).4
This finding is supported by high-profile studies from the Swedish government on the effects of reducing the working day for nurses to six hours. During the first 18 months of the trial, nurses working shorter hours logged less sick leave, reported better perceived health and boosted their productivity by organising 85 per cent more activities for their patients.5
Looking beyond the office walls
Beyond the workplace, an opportunity exists to engage employees within the wider community. Research finds that 50 per cent of employees desire work that connects them to a larger purpose. And those who frequently participate in their organisation’s volunteer activities are more likely to feel loyal.6
Put simply, it feels good to do good. And when that experience is shared with colleagues it builds camaraderie and goodwill that promote loyalty.
Thinking strategically and long term
Employee engagement must run deeper than ad hoc initiatives in order to have a real impact on the bottom line. To this end, all organisations need to implement a holistic wellbeing strategy that integrates financial, mental, physical and career health.
The ability to help employees form bonds — with each other and their employer — translates to reduced costs of absenteeism, presenteeism, recruitment and training. But a supporting engagement framework that’s aligned to business objectives is essential. This is the structure that ensures employee total wellbeing is engrained within the organisation’s culture and values: the key to efficiently achieving long-term loyalty and sustained productivity, growth and profitability.
The author is Chris Evans, Regional Director , Risk and Healthcare at Gallagher
This article is provided by Gallagher.
References
1Gatehouse, a Gallagher company, ‘State of the Sector 2019’, February 2019
2A report to government by David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, ‘Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement’, July 2009
3e-days Absence Management, ‘Employee Turnover Rates by Industry’, January 2018
4Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, ‘Flexible Working: The Business Case’, November 2018
5BBC Online, ‘What really happened when Swedes tried 6-hour days?’, February 2017
6Business Matters, ‘4 ways to use CSR as an employee engagement tool’, March 2018
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