Employee Engagement - It’s Just Not That Simple

Such a happy looking group! But do you really expect that companies can put policies in place that will delight the entire work force at the same time? What many companies fail to consider is that efforts to engage employees may not work for everyone. The work force is made up of individuals and, though policies like flex time and working at home are currently in vogue, they may not generate increased engagement for the masses.

The point is that engaging humans is just not that simple. Telecommuting, for instance, sounds great--no time lost commuting; employees available for family support; greater independence; fewer sick days; more money (no need for “professional” clothes, transportation, child care or lunches out). But then there are disadvantages too--less face-to-face interaction with colleagues, lack of boundaries between work and personal lives, difficulty demonstrating workload. For some employees telecommuting will be a huge benefit; for others, it may feel isolating and lessen their work/life balance.

So what do you do as an employer who wants to keep your entire work force engaged?

Employee engagement training experts recommend that you not rely simply on black-and-white company-wide policies to cure engagement problems. You need to recognize the individual and communicate with your team members on a regular basis. Check in often and ask for feedback so you know how policies are affecting them as individuals. Then you can try to adjust or tweak policies to suit their preferences. 

Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/leading-for-employee-engagement/