Top tips for linking employee engagement with performance
An employee will always choose whether to engage with an organisation: they can’t be forced. Engagement occurs as a result of an environment that inspires people to care about their work.
And even when an employee is engaged, it doesn’t automatically follow that their performance will improve, as every employee is different. But there are key elements that an organisation can put in place to encourage strong employee engagement that is more likely to lead to higher levels of performance.
The following top tips will help organisations to get the most out of their employee engagement strategy.
1. Strengthen culture
The best enabler of great work is a strong culture that supports and encourages it. Cultures that focus on the six ‘talent magnets’ will increase the likelihood of great work for every type of employee. They are:
• Organisational purpose,
• Career opportunities,
• Company success,
• Appreciation,
• Wellbeing
• Modern leadership.
In reality, this means having a clear and inspirational purpose that people feel connected to, providing employees with opportunities for career development, while enabling their success, and showing recognition for their efforts.
Plus, health and wellbeing must be prioritised and this needs to come together under a modern leadership team that mentors, collaborates and gets to know their employees as individuals.
O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report highlights that the likelihood of great work increases when an organisation has a strong culture. In fact, depending on the employee persona, the probability of great work is between 82% and 572%.
2. Integrate recognition
Making recognition part of everyday working life will increase both engagement and the likelihood of employees performing great work. However, it must become part of the daily flow of work, given authentically and tailored to the individual otherwise it’s unlikely to be met with success. Recognition that becomes second nature can increase performance by up to 19 times (depending on employee personality type).
3. Be inclusive
Celebrate the intersection of different backgrounds, genders, races, abilities, sexual orientations and other attributes. It’s only when employees feel they truly belong, are valued, and are able to make a difference in their work, will they choose to engage with the organisation (and are more likely to do great work).
Being inclusive in all aspects of the employee experience is therefore key, with a strong focus on everyday experiences that can really shape how employees feel and think, from ensuring leaders are intentionally inclusive in their leadership style through to making opportunities available to all.
4. Focus on leadership
Traditional leaders who lead with control and power do nothing to improve engagement and will have little effect on increasing productivity. In fact, poor leaders are more likely to constrain productivity and reduce the likelihood of great work.
Modern leadership provides a strong foundation for a thriving culture, in which leaders advocate for their people, support their growth and development and understand them as individuals. A culture in which modern leadership is encouraged and expected has a higher probability of creating an engaged workforce that is driven to deliver great results. When organisations have modern leaders, the probability of great work increases by up to 351%.
Provide the right environment
By providing the right environment where people can be themselves, are encouraged to be successful and feel valued, employees will not only choose to engage with the organisation but will be driven to want to make a difference.
In partnership with O. C. Tanner
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