Four Good Reasons Why Measure Employee Engagement

We all know that there are employees who aren’t exactly fond of their jobs. But you’d be surprised at the number of those people. According to a poll conducted by HR consulting firm Gallup, more than 52 percent of 5.4 million employees surveyed in the United States hate their job. The same study revealed that 18 percent were disengaged in their work, which means that 7 out of 10 workers were not exactly happy with their jobs.

These surprising figures underline a serious concern among US employers and HR experts—the growing number of employees who are unhappy with their work. It’s not shocking why employee engagement will continue to be a top organizational concern in the country. HR executives will always be interested to measure employee engagement and find ways how to increase it in their respective organizations.

Best-selling author and leadership expert Kevin Kruse defines employee engagement as the extent to which employees are passionate about their jobs. Employee engagement levels serve as a yardstick to measure how dedicated employees are to the company.

Engaged employees are committed to their work and their organization. Simply put, they don’t work just because it’s their job, or because they want a promotion. They work hard because they care so much for the company that they want it to succeed.

There are several good, compelling reasons why measure employee engagement:

1. Determine employee engagement levels.

The primary reason why companies hire HR experts and outsource employee engagement surveys is to determine the levels of engagement of their workers. Measuring the key drivers of engagement within the organization would allow human resource experts and decision makers to assess whether their employees are engaged or disengaged. Some of the commonly assessed factors that can affect employee engagement are career advancement, pay and benefits, training and development, work environment, and recognition.

2. Solicit feedback from employees.

Yet another reason why measure employee engagement through surveys or polls is to give the workforce a venue for open feedback. Employee surveys can establish two way communication in the organization, and involve the workers in the development process. Because surveys solicit their opinion and feedback on matters concerning them and the organization, employees will realize that management values their opinions.

3. Increase employee engagement.

It doesn’t make sense for any company to measure employee engagement and then do nothing about it. The conduct of employee polls is not only designed to determine how engaged or disengaged workers are; but also to help management formulate an action plan on how to increase employee engagement.

Information obtained from the employee survey or poll will allow the HR and the leadership to identify strengths and opportunities for enhancing engagement in the organization. Company-wide engagement plans may be formulated, or a specific sector or department may be the focus. After identifying what needs to be done, the HR can set priorities, determine and allot resources, and create timelines.

4. Improve company culture.

By taking steps to improve employee engagement, the company is also exerting an effort to improve its corporate culture.

Companies can make changes in its communication processes. Or it can be more active in volunteer work. Many firms also integrate sports tournaments and company-sponsored activities that are aimed to increase camaraderie among the workers.

These concrete measures can show the employees that management is looking after the welfare of its workers. In turn, it can help increase employee engagement. Engaged employees are more productive at work and will do everything to help the company achieve its goals

These four reasons to measure employee engagement all the more make the conduct of employee engagement polls a wise move for any company.