[03] Factors Affecting Employee Engagement

Nagesh et al.,(2019), researched factors affecting employee engagement. the study concludes that raising and sustaining employee engagement falls on the organization’s shoulders since the organization should offer a favourable work environment, training and development, good reputation in society and employees must feel necessary to the organization’s success by participating in the decision-making process and supervisors should have.

 

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 Deferent factors are affecting employment engagement and some of the important factors are described below.

Career Development

Highly engaged organisations ensure that they give their employees a chance to acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities and realize their maximum potential. Career development practices enable organisations to retain talented employees and develop them personally. Employees generally support companies that care for their career development and plan towards future job opportunities. Employee engagement is a worldwide issue of career development. Finally, sufficient employee development through training, skills, and learning may also lead to a higher degree of engagement of employees concerning their work and organization.

Effective Talent Management

A workplace that values and encourages employee involvement cherishes the unique talents and skills its staff brings. It sparks an ambition within the employees to reach their future goals. By having tactics such as job mapping, company reinforcement, and rewards, employees will be motivated, and the company will see less turnover. Employee involvement is united, to a noticeable extent, with practical management, among other things. The top management of the organization must identify their staff’s talents and skills. Also need to be engaged in the most suitable job for them.

Company Values, Policies and Practices

HR practices and policies play a crucial role in shaping the relationship between employees and employers. Interestingly, there is no direct link found between HR practices and employee engagement. Instead, it was discovered that the connection between HR practices and engagement is more indirect. Two key factors influenced by HR practices are the behaviour of the line manager and how well the person fits the job. The actual relationship that impacts employee engagement exists between these two factors. To foster higher engagement, companies should ensure that their values are clear to employees. Additionally, it was also found that employee engagement is influenced by the alignment of values, among other factors.

 

Empowerment

In highly engaged workplaces, employees believe they should be able to share their opinions on decisions that may impact their roles. The leadership creates a challenging and trusting environment, encouraging employees to challenge conventional practices, innovate, and contribute to the organization's growth. The ability to express viewpoints to senior management also influences engagement. Research has shown that control, as well as rewards, recognition, and alignment with organizational values, are predictors of employee engagement. Additionally, a strong commitment to supervisors enhances employee engagement, leading to increased learning and ultimately fostering workplace innovation.

 

Performance Appraisal

When considering how engaged an employee is, it's important to also evaluate how their performance is rated. An organization that uses a fair and transparent appraisal technique tends to have higher employee engagement. Clear communication between managers and employees about performance expectations and role clarity also increases engagement. Setting goals has a positive impact on employee engagement, which, in turn, improves workplace optimism and ultimately leads to better individual performance.

 

Salary and Bonuses

An organization needs proper salary systems to motivate employees. Providing specific compensation and benefits enhances engagement. This can be done through increased base pay, cash bonuses, stocks, or stock options. Salary should be linked to job roles, performance, special allowances, pensions, and fringe benefits to effectively engage employees. Egalitarian pay structures have a significant impact on employee engagement. Incentives, intangible rewards, and quality of leadership play a stronger role in creating highly engaged employees compared to base pay and benefits.

 

Health and Safety

It has been found that the levels of engagement were correlated with the feeling of security while working. Therefore, all organizations must adopt suitable systems and methods for the safety and health of the employees. Working hours and health and safety amongst other factors were found to be precursors to employee engagement in the case of the public sector as well.

 

Job Satisfaction and Work Environment

Job satisfaction is the key to employee engagement. Therefore, for an organization, it's crucial to align job goals with the personal goals of the employee, making them feel contented with their work. Employees with a strong sense of self-belief are generally more engaged at work, as it encourages a predisposition to invest additional efforts and energy into completing tasks. This leads to increased absorption and involvement. More self-assured employees tend to fuel their motivation by setting ambitious goals, which in turn, breeds further engagement.

 

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Conclusion 

Lastly, the holistic character of employee engagement requires a thoughtful strategy from organizations. This research made by Nagesh et al. (2019) shows that career development, talent management effectiveness, company values, empowerment, performance assessment, payment structures, health and safety and satisfaction from work affect employee engagement. It is incumbent upon an organization to provide a healthy workspace for its employees’ growth, recognize every employee as an important contributor, and consider their welfare. To sum up, by taking note of various internal factors like these, organizations will not only boost employees’ commitment but also increase work efficiency, job satisfaction and success amidst rapid changes within the contemporary work environment.

 

Reference

Nagesh, P., Kulenur, S., Prathika Shetty, M. and Student, P. (2019). The Study on Factors Affecting Employee Engagement. [online] Available at: https://www.ijert.org/research/the-study-on-factors-affecting-employee-engagement-IJERTV8IS060345.pdf. [Accessed 17 December 2023].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). 3 Factors that influence employee engagement. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/7MooCcP9aqQ [Accessed 17 December 2023].

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