Real-Time Engagement Part 2: The Employee’s Perspective

What Employee Engagement Really Means to an Employee

[caption id="attachment_5301" align="alignright" width="280"] Engagement - The Employee’s Perspective[/caption] Employee engagement is not just a seemingly pointless exercise to satisfy the corporate satisfaction checkbox. It’s much more than that. From the standpoint of employees, engagement is a sign that they are actively pursuing their career development within an atmosphere of support. It’s a new way of engaging with the employer and having their voice heard. In Part 1 we discussed real-time engagement from the manager’s perspective; here we discuss it from the employee's point of view.

What’s in it for me? Engagement from the Employee’s Point of View

In any organization, employees are seeking to understand their place and how their efforts help make things happen. Employees will be asking “What’s in this for me?” when they are tasked with being more engaged in their jobs and getting involved with the company vision. Besides seeing that their actions make a difference to the company and to the clients being served, they want to know what the return on investment is for them too. The following are common thoughts that employees have in terms of engagement:

• Will they be recognized for their efforts?
• Will leaders respect their input and ideas?
• Will they be able to advance in their career?
• Will they be given credit where it’s due?
• Will they be seen as a valuable team member?

It’s important to not only look out for the company’s interests when moving towards greater engagement; it’s also vital to address these concerns up front. Employees need to receive feedback in the form of appreciation, acknowledgement, and incentives. Things can organically improve for employees too, such as:

• They experience more work life balance when they are happier at work and can leave stress behind.
• Performance at work is enhanced due to a greater commitment to excellence and pride in work.
• Employees are less likely to experience accidents and illnesses because they are happier and less stressed.
• They can move up the corporate ladder and have problems resolved at work with a responsive feedback system.

When choosing an employee engagement survey for tracking and responding to employee matters, keep the above objectives in mind. Understanding things from the perspective of employees can make engagement much more possible. Read Part 1 of our blog, where we discuss real-time engagement from the Manager's perspective.

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To find out more about how Thymometrics can help your company with real-time employee engagement surveys, email info@thymometrics.com, call +1 646 760 9323 (US) or +44 (0) 1223 750 251 (Europe) or visit thymometrics.com. Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net