Many people have different definitions of employee engagement. But in simple words, it’s an emotional commitment employees have to their job, their team’s goals, and their company’s mission.
Engagement is not a matter of how the employee’s like their workplace, but how they are acting in the workplace.
And remember, only an engaged workforce can generate valuable business results for an organization.
Studies show that feeling inspired, valued, confident, and empowered are the key emotions that lead to engagement. Employees personalize their work through emotions felt about the company’s actions as a whole and about their managers in particular.
Here are some employee engagement myths:
Myth #1: Serious employees are engaged employees
Performing the job and regularity at work is not the parameter to determine employee engagement. They are doing their job but not committed to the company. They can be just as disengaged as any other employee.
An engaged employee considers the company’s goals as their own. And they are motivated to learn better, effective, and efficient ways to contribute to the organization.
Myth #2: Employee engagement requires a big investment!
Most startups think that employee engagement programs or practices need a lot of investment. But it’s not true! You don’t have to break your bank to do it.
Companies can improve engagement by paying more attention to their employees. And it doesn’t involve spending large sums of money. Many of the employee engagement tools are available free of cost (or minimal cost). All you need to do is get started!
Myth #3: Employee engagement is the HR manager’s job
In fact, it is a collective responsibility. From the top level to the very bottom, employee engagement requires the participation of all the people involved in the equation.
While the HR managers may take it upon themselves to make engagement initiatives a priority, it is the team effort that will bear fruit. HR managers can encourage teams to suggest ideas to improve engagement within the organization and implement the best ones.
Myth #4: Happy employees are engaged employees
All engaged employees are happy employees, but not all happy employees are engaged employees. “Employee engagement does not mean employee happiness.”
It doesn’t mean that happiness is not part of employee engagement—in fact, happiness is an integral element of the engagement ecosystem.
Building a happy workplace is vital. But, don’t rest your hopes of an efficient and engaged workforce on a happy one alone.
Myth #5: Employee engagement nothing, just a buzzword!
Despite stunning statistics and data to back it up, employee engagement is still considered as “just another trend.” It’s a widely misunderstood concept in the corporate world.
If there is one thing that can be guaranteed, it is that employee engagement is real, effective, and will see growth in the future.
Let’s dive into important pillars of employee engagement:
Employees who emotionally connect in a positive way with a company feel a sense of ownership and are more likely to stay with it, delivering superior work in less time and reducing turnover costs.