This pandemic has accelerated a trend that was already developing in the last few years.
Even though we don’t know exactly what the world of work will look, one thing is for sure.
We cannot expect it to go back to “normal”.
We are in a period of transformation, where the new normal will certainly include some
form of flexible or remote work.
This is why many companies are starting to see that Employee Engagement is more important than ever.
And they are trying to find best practices to measure and understand the data related
to the engagement of their employees.
In this Bite, we will take a tactical approach to measuring engagement and give advice on
how to measure it correctly.
Stay tuned for 5 best practices on measuring employee engagement.
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Hi, and welcome back!
My name is Neelie, and this Bite is all about Employee Engagement and how you can measure it correctly
in your organization.
So, let’s dive into this bite and start from number 1.
Make sure you’re measuring the right thing.
Employee engagement is typically measured through a survey.
However, a common problem with engagement surveys is the way engagement is defined.
Are we really measuring engagement, or something different?
Do we want to measure engagement, or happiness?
Or do we want to know how empowered our people are?
The term engagement is used for many different things.
They all relate to some state of wellbeing. But an engaged worker is not necessarily a happy worker.
And a happy worker is not necessarily an empowered worker.
Knowing what you measure is especially important to create a sense of urgency about improving engagement.
We all know that engagement is related to higher productivity, lower product defects,
lower turnover, and higher revenue.
However, if you are actually measuring something else, these positive effects may not occur at all!
In this sense it might be helpful to use an employee engagement tool like Leapsome or Peakon.
With their question templates, and their analytical tools, they can really guide in the acquisition
and analysis of the right set of data.
2. Use proven methods.
Related to that, it is important to use proven methods that you can rely on.
The two best-known scales are the Utrecht Work Engagement and the GALLUP.
Both are very well tested.
For both scales, higher scores are related to superior business outcomes.
Other scales exist but are less tested.
Using them, may result in your engagement survey being virtually worthless.
And one more piece of advice.
While normally you would compare the results of this year to the previous ones,
this time you might need to use the information you get to reset your metrics,
since the lockdown has changed the landscape completely!
3. Guarantee confidentiality, not anonymity.
This one is short and sweet.
A common mistake is to guarantee the anonymity of data.
Because you can never use the data for further analysis.
The most effective approach in this sense is to guarantee confidentiality.
Allowing yourself to follow-up on the most important issues you’ll find.
4. Use your data for value added-analysis.
Especially in an environment in which human contact is not possible,
having the power to show concrete data about the employee engagement rates
might help you thrive in the pandemic, and help your organization get out of this situation stronger.
You can use the data to measure how engaged workers impact business outcomes.
To give an example, at Best Buy a 1% increase in engagement of store employees led to a
$100,000 growth in revenue per store.
Being able to show the impact of increasing engagement to business leaders creates urgency.
It shows that engagement is not just a toy of HR, but a viable way to reach business goals.
And the best way to do that is showcase it in your own organization.
5. What’s in it for the employee?
Now, why would an employee want to fill in an engagement survey?
Usually, it’s not because they love filling in surveys.
On the contrary.
So, what can you promise your colleagues to inspire them?
Giving them insights into their own results is fundamental to helping them understand
the importance of the survey.
Or maybe you can promise a customized report with tips on their current situation.
In conclusion, as this article from Forbes clearly states,
“In a time when most of us have struggled with feelings of isolation and disconnection,
the engagement of meaningful and rewarding work is as vital as ever.
Leaders who can maintain cohesive teams and find consistent ways to connect during these
challenging times will emerge from the pandemic with more resilient organizations, ready to
hit the ground running.”
Thus, understanding Employee Engagement and measuring it in the right way can be a powerful
tool for all those organizations that wish to rise to the challenge of these times.
Are you considering implementing these tactics into your own engagement measuring practices?
And what are the tools you use to measure it?
What are the biggest challenges you are currently facing?
Let us know in the comments below, and if you liked this video, remember to like and share it.
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you soon for our next learning bite!