Promoting Employee Engagement: The microwave edition

Babysitting employees is uncalled for but engaging employees is one of the most basic functions every supervisor or manager should perform daily.

Many managers or supervisors deliver results on a lot of their responsibilities but fail to see employee engagement as an area that is key for them to leverage to further drive performance into exceptional realm.

Line leaders should not erroneously assume that employee engagement is all about the pay. Yes, there is the need for employees to want to earn more and that can be a source of motivation, but in reality, challenging tasks, feeling valued and heard are mostly the bedrock of what matters. Where engagement and retention is concerned, simple but profound factors like relationships, emotions, communication, personal & professional growth are weightier. When people do not feel connected in these ways, they lose enthusiasm and show signs of disengagement from the organisation where they work.

Another key driver of engagement has been found to be task ownership which is when employees are made to be responsible and accountable for their day to day work. They want a measure of control and want to be able to determine the outcomes rather than besidelined.

When there is a sense of ownership, employees tend to work harder, feel valued & trusted, work smarter, are more productive, innovative & effective, develop their capabilities and become more loyal to the company. The bottom line is that employees who have exhibited ownership become partners in the growth and success of their organiSation.

Employee Engagement is not overrated. Explore its benefits.

Ngozi Adebiyi