COMMENTARY

Engage employees to increase service and profit

Employers can increase productivity and profit by engaging more people in their company's mission.

Only 17 percent of staff are fully engaged and energized, according to a recent study by Towers Perrin, "Understanding What Drives Employee Engagement."

Employees actively engaged in their work give their best and enjoy what they do. Engaged employees equal happy customers and more profit.

Your company or organization has room for improvement if: the work is just barely getting accomplished; the company is profitable, but you would love to make more; the company delivers OK customer service, but not outstanding; your employees come to work most days, but use every sick day they accrue.

Towers Perrin said 17 percent of staff are fully engaged and energized; 64 percent are doing what it takes to get by and 10 percent are bitter, turned off or "retired but forgot to leave."

Applying the above statistics to a company of 100 employees, this means you have 17 employees excited about being at work and giving their all each day. Another 64 come to work and do enough to keep their jobs, and the remaining 10 are actually reporting to work but spoiling the environment with negative comments and poor attitudes while their co-workers pick up the slack.

Beverly Kaye, founder of Career Systems International, in her book "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em," says the top reasons employees stay with a company are exciting and challenging work, career growth potential, good bosses, pride in the organization, great work environment and culture. According to the Hay Group, top reasons employees leave are bad boss, lack of respect for ideas and feeling unappreciated.

The first step to engaging your employees is through communication and showing them they are the heart of the organization. Allow employees pride and ownership of their work. Let them sign their work, give everyone business cards, let employees choose their own job titles, allow employees to distribute work among themselves for ownership, educate employees how their job impacts the company's bottom line.

Employees want meaningful work that shows a direct contribution to profits. If employees are allowed to become stagnant doing the same tasks day in and day out, they will go on autopilot and creativity is lost.

Leadership development programs, succession planning and enhanced performance systems will provide solid foundations to provide employees with purpose, mission, accomplishments and understanding of their contribution to the bottom line.

Engaging employees is vital to the future of your company or organization. So be engaged.

Kristin Scott is a human relations consultant with Creative Business Solutions in Topeka. She can be reached at (785) 233-7860 or kristin.scott@cbsks.com.

Copyright 2005
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