Take any business ‘buzz word’ and it’s a fair bet that the longer it is in existence, the harder it is to delve beneath the plethora of ‘me too’ articles to find the nugget of truth. That’s certainly the case with employee engagement. Those who get it right know that it is a real business differentiator but those searching the net for employee engagement help may be forgiven for thinking that it is now simply a catchall phrase for anything and everything to do with business. So much so that articles are now creeping in which suggest that engagement may have had its day.
That’s far from the truth but perhaps it is time to get back to basics, to look at engagement as people focused differentiator which it can be. With that in mind, and with this month’s theme being hints and tips we thought it would be time to bust a few employee engagement myths.
Myth one. Employees won’t be engaged unless you give them ball pools, table tennis tables and an imaginative office layout. It’s true that some innovative companies offer all these things and more and it is also true that office design can impact employee attitudes but you can put in all the fun features you like and you still won’t have engaged employees unless you get the basics right.
Myth two. A happy employee is an engaged employee. Whilst engagement will contribute towards a sense of well-being and happiness, it is perfectly possible to be happy and to get on well with colleagues and still be totally disengaged.
Myth three. The more I pay them, the more my employees will be engaged. Pay people well and they may be more inclined to stick around but that doesn’t mean that they will be engaged. The same goes for perks such as health schemes and subsidised canteens; they may tie people in but do you really want someone who only stays because of the reward package.
True engagement comes from treating people as people, making them feel that they are valued members of team and helping them to develop the tools and techniques which they need both for personal growth and to deliver exceptional levels of service. This is achieved not through installing a pool table but rather through paying attention to the 4Es of employee engagement development; namely, education, engaging, empowering and enabling. Get these right and employee beliefs and behaviours will start to reflect the values and visions of the organisation. And when that happens, everyone from employees to employer and customers to key stakeholders can start to reap the benefits.
If you would like to explore employee engagement issues further feel free to email Derek at derek.bishop@cultureconsultancy.com or visit www.cultureconsultancy.com
