We have now entered a brand new era of work: an occupational landscape that challenges us with frequent organizational challenges and makes it more important than ever for managers, especially HR managers, to truly understand their employees. Amid the “Great Resignation” and struggles to retain top talent, we all want to know how we can build the right retention strategy and quickly bring about improved employee engagement, damming the flow of departures. So, in order to stay up to the minute and bring value to this new world of work, we have updated the model that forms the basis of our online survey. Now we can share the latest trends that have become profound influences on today’s employees. What’s the key to employee engagement and how can you apply it to your own teams? Read on – all the answers are here.
Want Increased Efficiency? Try Improved Employee Satisfaction
Numerous studies have shown that employee engagement has a direct effect on efficiency and productivity. At Best Buy, for example, it was found that just a 0.1% increase in overall engagement brought in more than $100,000 in annual operating revenue (Harvard Business Review, 2010). Our own survey also showed a strong link between employee engagement and productivity – 75% of companies that reported increased output in 2021 also reported increased employee engagement (AL Consultants, 2021). Simply put, satisfied employees vote with their feet and stick with their current organization, where they are more efficient and productive.
So what’s the secret to retaining employees and keeping them happy?
That’s the $64,000 question! During a period when the power is in the hands of the employees, retention has become a common challenge. Many organizations have been doing their best to retain talent in various creative ways, with mixed results. What is actually an effective tactic? Ask the employees.
The 2022 Employee Engagement Model
Building a new employee engagement model is no small matter. We assembled a task force, gathered articles, collated data from dozens of our previous surveys, reviewed and analyzed parameters, dismantled and reassembled the methodology… And the results stand before you now: an online survey that addresses the hot-button issues most relevant to today’s employees.
What does the new model look like?
The new engagement model comprises six spheres of influence, in which we assess employee experience, organizational productivity, and employee engagement. These six spheres of influence are: Meaning & Identification, Employees at Their Best, Wellbeing, Empowering Work Environment, Growth & Development, and Trust in Direct Manager & Leadership.
Each of these spheres involves different parameters, and as part of our comprehensive solution, we will also examine the relationships between these parameters. For example: studying the relationship between “interfaces” and “independence” and overall engagement, and thereby determining what needs to be worked on within the organization in order to leverage employees’ experience and their performance.
What are the six spheres of influence?
1. Meaning & Identification
Value-based and motivational engagement with the company’s vision and values, and the employee’s ability to have an impact on the company’s success.
2. Employees at Their Best
Do the employees have everything they need to succeed at their jobs? This includes practical tools and resources, as well as their experience of fair treatment, independence, and flexibility – both within their own work, and within the organization in general.
3. Wellbeing
This is the 360° wellbeing experienced by employees, giving them peace of mind, which also includes job security, their ability to express themselves and feel challenged, and also appreciation and a good work-life balance. This sphere is completely new, with new questions that have mainly arisen from today’s practical challenges.
4. Empowering Work Environment
A sphere that focuses on interacting with other people in the organization, the efficiency of organizational processes, working with other departments, and teamwork. It also includes the sense of psychological security experienced by the team.
5. Growth & Development
One of today’s hottest topics. When it is not given adequate support, it becomes one of the main factors motivating employees to leave their organization. Growth and development includes learning on both a personal and a professional level, including the current role and various development and mobility options within the company.
6. Trust in Direct Manager & Leadership
This sphere examines the nature of employees’ relationship with their direct manager, and that manager’s ability to support them and set a personal example as someone who has the right tools to solve professional problems. It also includes trust in the organization’s leadership and investigates how transparent that leadership is.
When you ask employees about their engagement level by conducting a Connect-U survey in your organization, you will receive a clear picture of the engagement situation throughout the organization. This enables the perceptions of management to be translated into measurable numbers and data, as well as concrete recommendations for action. We can therefore formulate a focused, effective retention strategy that meets current needs in the field.
That said, our perceptions as senior executives and HR managers do not always tally with the survey results. Many organizations are surprised to uncover unexpected data about what is really happening among their employees. For example, one biotech company that implemented our Connect-U engagement survey realized that problems with inter-team projects via interfaces led to a significant decrease in employee engagement. As a result, it began investing in teamwork and streamlining interfaces. The change was rapid and saved the company hundreds of thousands of shekels.
Want to know more about what’s really going on in your organization? We will be happy to adapt our new engagement survey to your specific needs.
