Employee engagement

Introduction

Employee engagement is a route to business success. An engaged workplace encourages commitment, energy and productivity from all those involved to help improve business performance.

This guide introduces employee engagement – what it means and how it works. It provides best practice on how you can develop integrity in your business by defining, communicating and embedding values and supportive behaviour.

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to your business goals and values. By involving them in your business, you will motivate them to contribute to your business success and at the same time improve their sense of well-being.

Further guidance on employee engagement is available in the ‘Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee engagement’ report – produced after the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) commissioned an independent review into engagement in the workplace. Download ‘Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee engagement’ from the BIS website (PDF, 973KB).

Employee engagement starts with managers showing a clear and collective commitment to making employee engagement part of business culture. This means sharing information on business plans and performance, making sure you live your business values and seeking views and ideas from employees on how to improve your business.

It is a two-way street. Encourage your employees to play their part by sharing their feedback, raising concerns and supporting the way you do business.

Benefits of employee engagement

Employee engagement benefits everyone involved with your business by creating an informed, involved and productive workplace that helps propel your business towards its goals. Engaged employees:

  • have a desire and commitment to give their best to your business
  • generate more revenue for your business
  • demonstrate higher levels of innovation
  • act as advocates for your business
  • have lower rates of sickness or absenteeism
  • are less likely to leave your business
  • behave in ways that support your business values
  • have a positive impact on customer services

Engaged employees also have a stronger sense of personal well-being and feel more involved, committed and productive at work.

Read more: nibusinessinfo.co.uk