A recent survey released by global research firm ORC International has revealed that the UK is ranking 18th out of 20 countries in respect to employee engagement. More than 7,000 employees were surveyed, with UK employee engagement decreasing in every category measured. Only 37% of UK workers felt that they were encouraged to be innovative, a drop from 47% last year.
Relationships between staff and managers are generally not seen as positive; with a third of employees reporting that they don’t have an encouraging relationship with their superior. The survey also identified a drop in the number of employees who felt valued at work, from 57% last year to 49%.
Engaged employees deliver greater business performance
A disturbing 44% of employees said that they don’t enjoy their work. Organisations need engaged employees because, as well as being happier, healthier and more fulfilled, they deliver superior business performance. Research has repeatedly demonstrated a strong relationship between how people are managed, employee attitudes and business performance. Positive relationships contribute heavily to profit, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, productivity, innovation, staff retention and efficiency.
Organisations are also increasingly recognising the importance of their brand and reputation. Engaged employees are stronger advocates of an organisation and help protect the employer from the reputational risks associated with poor service levels or product quality.
Disengaged employees brings huge risks
Having a disengaged workforce carries huge risks. As well as productivity losses, organisations may lose their best people and face huge difficulties when embedding organisational change if employees are not on board.
Disengagement also threatens effective collaboration, innovation and human capital management, as employees will not be inclined to use their knowledge and skills for the good of the organisation.
Improving employee engagement
Organisations need to place more importance on performance in the workplace as well as results; thriving employees are both engaged and productive. Improving employee engagement by encouraging innovative ideas and creative thinking will create an environment where employees feel that managers act in their best interests.
The concept of employee engagement has been around for many years. Over 30 years ago, Gallup and other companies pioneered the concept of the ‘engagement survey.’ The origins of these surveys started in the late 1800s when Fredrick Taylor, a pioneering industrial engineer, studied how people’s attitude impacted their productivity in the steel industry.
Nowadays, organisations have a choice of providers offering surveys and benchmarking tools to help them assess their employees’ level of engagement. The findings from the ORC survey highlight the necessity for UK organisations to take positive action to improve employee engagement. This will ultimately have a positive effect on overall business and client satisfaction.
