The data is in: Employee engagement is king

High employee engagement is on the minds of nearly all organisations, with Deloitte reporting that 87% of executives rate culture and employee engagement as their biggest HR challenge.  

In the world of HR, many of us talk about employee engagement, and the intrinsic link between engagement and productivity. We may have a grasp of what it means, what an engaged employee looks like, and even a decent idea of how it can be improved. But, do we really understand the key elements that contribute to engagement, and how to embark on the journey to increasing engagement levels to create a more well-rounded and happy experience at work?

In a recent APAC-wide study conducted by Oracle, the findings illustrate that we are only just at the beginning of this journey. Less than half (49%) of the respondents stated that their company utilises the latest technology in the workplace to enable them to do their job effectively, and less than half expressed that they have confidence in the leadership of their company.

Along with digital enablement and leadership, talent management and the culture of development were found to be other key elements in the employee engagement equation. The study identified that 49% say that their organisation actively encourages promotion from within the organisation and less than half agreed that there is equal opportunity for advancement. With progression prospects like that, it is unsurprising there is a high rate of turnover the region is seeing.

To help fight back against talent disengagement; we have identified eight steps to creating your own culture of engagement:

Look at how experiences at every stage of the employee lifecycle could be improved digitally. How can companies mirror the interface and experience that we are familiar with as consumers and how can we apply this to HR - from recruitment of new talent to self-driven on-boarding and ongoing development.

Ensure that everyone’s development is linked to their personal goals, the business’s performance requirements, and the progression opportunities available to them.

Link performance to financial rewards, but also consider whether the employee performance goals are aligned with their own values and the values of your organisation.

Make leaders accessible to the workforce. Use frequent interactions to create a constant feedback stream in between scheduled performance reviews.

Create a culture where employees can live their personal goals and values both at work and at home.

Keep roles tightly aligned with business needs, and ensure everyone can see how their efforts are driving the business towards achieving its goals.

Provide everyone with opportunities to learn and develop. They should always feel that they are working towards something greater, and they should clearly be able to see where their development plan is taking them. Engage them in the process through constant feedback and status check-in’s.

Take an active interest in employee wellbeing, work to understand what it really consists of, and strive to make everyone’s working lives as simple and comfortable as possible.

For more information on enhancing employee experience, check out: Employee Culture Hub.

(The writer is the Head of HCM at Oracle Corporation in the Asia Pacific region, where he is responsible for developing thought leadership and identifying trends in all areas of Human Capital Management).