The 7th C of Employee Engagement

Control

Employees who have a say in setting goals and decision-making processes feel more in control of their jobs leading to higher levels of engagement.

Telecommuting: Not just another employee perk

SHRM research shows that “91% of HR professionals whose companies offer flexible work arrangements, such as teleworking, have seen positive results on employee engagement, job satisfaction and retention”.

In a recent New York Times article titled, ‘It’s Unclearly Defined, but Telecommuting is on the Rise’, the typical telecommuter is described as a 49-year-old college graduate — man or woman — who earns about $58,000 a year and belongs to a company with more than 100 employees, according to numbers culled from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. By one estimate, telecommuting has risen 79 percent between 2005 and 2012 and now makes up 2.6 percent of the American work force, or 3.2 million workers, according to statistics from the American Community Survey. 

So while telecommuting is gaining momentum, many employers don’t support it because there is a real fear that people aren’t really working.
In fact, Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, a San Diego-based research firm said the No. 1 complaint and question she hears from employers regarding work-from-home opportunities is, “How will I know they’re working?”
“The counter to that is, ‘How do you know they’re working in the office?’”
Still, telelcommuting may be the most popular way to demonstrate trust in employees and may also be a highly effective way to build employee engagement.

The SHRM report cites the many identified benefits that flexibility offers to employees:
• Improved well-being;
• Better health;• Increased job satisfaction;
• Improved objective performance;
• Lower stress;
• Reduced turnover intentions;
• Lower work interference with family; and reduced absenteeism.

It has been proven that telecommuting can lead to increased productivity, reduced turnover, fewer sick days, and significant overhead and real estate cost savings. If it also leads to greater satisfaction and employee engagement, we hope this trend continues to gain momentum and we look forward to the positive changes it will have on American employees.

Original Articles here:
http://www.benefitspro.com/2014/10/09/treat-workplace-flexibility-as-a-strategy-not-a-be
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/your-money/when-working-in-your-pajamas-is-more-productive.html?_r=1