The First ‘C’ in Employee Engagement

Employee engagement matters

Engaged employees believe they can make a difference in the organizations they work for and there is proof that organizations that do a better job of engaging their employees also outperform their competitors.

In our most recent white paper we discussed the 10 C’s of employee engagement and we felt it was important to look closely at each one and break it down into understandable and actionable ways to actively engage employees.

Connect: To connect is to join or be involved with another person. Employees know if their organizations and managers mean it when they say 'our employees are our greatest asset', so it is vitally important that connections occur and have meaning.

Here are 6 ways to make a positive connection:

1. Put people first.

All employees want to be respected and valued for their contributions. Ways to demonstrate respect include respecting opinions, respecting culture, respecting people’s time. Connect with your employees and foster their connections with others.

2. Be a place employees feel safe.

Employees must feel safe when they take the initiative to suggest new ideas or try something new. If they don’t feel safe they will check out mentally over time and absenteeism and resignations will rise. When you create this safe haven you are connecting.

3. Communicate

Employees must be informed about what’s going on in their organizations. Withholding information breeds mistrust and causes employees to disconnect over time. Only when employees know what’s going on in their organizations will they give all they have to their organizations. Communicating is connecting.

4. Create opportunities for growth

Give employees the responsibility and authority to make decisions that affect their jobs and their work. Empowering others is a powerful way to connect.

5. Be responsive

Employees are a tremendous source of organizational improvement. Employee surveys and employee suggestions are ways to tap into this wealth of ideas yet few organizations respond to this valuable input by implementing the very changes that are suggested. Employees who see their ideas routinely ignored eventually disconnect.

6. Recognition

Hand in hand with putting people first is recognizing the efforts that they make. Recognizing people can be as simple as a thank you, or taking them out for coffee and getting to know them to ask about how they feel about their work and where they want to go. Whichever way you choose to appreciate your employees, you are making a connection that will help to strengthen employee engagement.

So we encourage you to connect and get involved with your employees and experience the difference employee engagement can make in your organization.

http://www.insightlink.com/ten-cs-of-employees-engagement.html