Employee Engagement: Why It’s Important, And How To Create It

It’s no longer just on the shoulders of HR departments to ensure employee engagement and wellness — thankfully, many companies, both big and small, are understanding the importance of keeping employees happy.

“Employee engagement and wellness are ultimately about protecting your human capital, your most important asset.” - Naz Beheshti

Data Around Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is becoming a new buzz phrase. Do a Google search and you’ll see tons of articles detailing the importance of keeping employee wellness and engagement in the forefront of your business. It’s really a win-win for the business and the employee - studies show that highly engaged teams yield 21% greater profitability for their employer. It all starts with setting standards and giving employees the tools to succeed. It’s a rather simple equation, and the numbers speak for themselves. Employees who are actively engaged will show up to work and have a stronger commitment to the quality of work they put out. This also helps companies have stronger customer relationships, which leads to better sales numbers and customer retention.

But what creates happy and engaged employees? Many companies have the right intentions, but are missing the mark in creating an atmosphere to promote true engagement.

According to Forbes.com, findings are:

• Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.
• 96% of employees believe showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention.
• 87% of employees expect their employer to support them in balancing work and personal commitments.

So, it seems that the foundation for stronger employee engagement stems from the need to be heard, shown empathy, and be given support. With these needs in mind, it’s possible for employers to create a strong template for employee engagement.

How to Start

Not sure where to start? Creating a better office environment can shift attitudes and help open the door to healthier habits. This is a tool to help define company culture and let both current and future employees know where you stand in the realm of their health and wellness.

CareerBuilder surveyed employees regarding their stress in the workplace and found that 31% of respondents felt high levels of stress at in their workplace. The survey also reports on how work-related stress can equate to physical health issues, such as fatigue, aches and pains, and weight gain. Also, this kind of steady stress can lead to depression, anxiety, and anger issues as well.

“Reshaping the physical environment to encourage healthy behavior includes adding healthy foods to break-rooms and restaurant delivery menus, ergonomic workstations, and appropriate lighting.”

Any employee who is dealing with physical or mental stresses will be unable to engage well with their job and other team members. Therefore, the relationship between wellness and engagement is a close one. Offering workshops on how to handle stress, as well as in office yoga classes or meditation help provide more human connection and build a healthier and more highly engaged workforce, leading to better productivity.

Why It’s Important to Your Bottom Line

Although making changes to increase employee engagement may seem time consuming and costly, the results of not taking these measures can have a long time effect on your overall business. A detailed report by The Engagement Institute explains how truly important employee engagement is to the bottom line. Disengaged employees cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year! Statistics prove that any investments you make in better employee engagement will not only help with employee retention and productivity, but actually aid in your overall profitability.

Source: Smarthustle