What Employee Engagement Means to Me

There’s a lot being said and being written about employee engagement and it’s a subject that has been trending on HR forums for quite a while now. It has caused me to review my understanding of what people really mean when they use this term and how it relates to the world of competencies that are central to the work that we do here at Lexonis.

Employee engagement is often spoken of as the connection that an employee feels towards their employer and organization; the feelings that they have which cause them to get up and really want to go to work for their employer and more than that, to go beyond the call of duty when they get to work. Engaged employees are said to be committed, motivated and loyal, real assets to the organization!

To really help me to get to grips with what employee engagement means to me, I thought I would relate it to my real-world experience, in other words, what has caused me to feel totally engaged, committed and motivated to perform for organizations that I have worked for?

The factors that I have listed below are not exhaustive and clearly there may be some that are personal to me, but perhaps at least some of them will resonate with you:

1. I enjoy having the opportunity to improve myself, to learn and grow both professionally and as a person. I have appreciated employers who have given me the opportunity to do that, whether formal or not.
2. I work better when I feel inspired by my managers and leaders, when I have time to spend with them, to listen and be heard, and to learn from them. I want to be successful so that they will feel the same about working with me.
3. I feel good about working for an organization that is well thought of; I feel a sense of pride about working for and being associated with such an organization. For instance, I loved working for a time at Microsoft because of the recognition that the company received and the great products it was known to develop.
4. I like working in a great environment, not just the physical facilities but also a collaborative culture, where we are all part of the team and we are working towards something bigger than ourselves.
5. I feel good when I know that my employer has a genuine interest in my health and wellbeing, I am not just ‘a number’.

So what has this all got to do with competencies, you may ask? Here’s just a start…

• How do you know how to develop people unless you understand the competencies that they need to be successful in their jobs?
• How can you help people chart their career development without articulating the skills and competencies that they need to develop in order to take the next step on their career ladder?
• How do you develop great products without hiring people with competencies such as ‘Initiative’, ‘Attention to Detail’ and ‘Problem Solving’ to innovate them?
• How can you recruit and promote inspirational leaders unless you define and evidence the behavioral competencies that you are looking for in them?
• How do you develop a collaborative culture without understanding the behaviors that contribute to such an environment?

I could go on, but you get the picture…if you would like to find out more regarding how competencies can drive employee engagement, contact us for a free demonstration from one of our competency experts.

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