Prioritize Wellness to Retain Employee Engagement
The COVID 19 crisis has brought about a rapid rise in the remote workforce. Employees are working while facing the anxiety of uncertainty as well as the disruption and distractions associated with working from the place they call home. Because there is no clear endpoint to pandemic adaptations, prioritizing employee engagement as a business strategy is now more important than ever!
Employee engagement is simply -
“the emotional commitment The employee has to The organization.”
Prioritizing employee engagement is an effective business strategy in maximizing productivity, performance and profit while minimizing business disruption.
In the marketplace, an employee’s contribution is typically measured by both productivity (quantity of work) and performance (quality of work). Business leaders rate “employee engagement in their work” as one of the top two drivers of both productivity and performance, in addition to “having the right people in the right jobs.
Engaged employees can enhance profitability by up to 21% because they:
Show up and stay - teams who score in the top 20% in engagement realize a 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover.
Are committed to quality and safety, being observant of standards, processes and systems which can result in up to 70% fewer safety incidents.
Are attuned to the needs of customers - highly engaged employee groups achieve a 10% increase in customer ratings and a 20% increase in sales.
Well-run employee wellness programs can enhance employee engagement because they have a powerful and positive impact on employees' workplace experience.
And that’s true whether employees are working in the office or from home! Wellness programs enhance employees’ emotional commitment to their work by communicating that an investment is being made in their personal well-being. You need to give these 4 messages:
You count as a valuable contributor to our organization
We care about you as a whole person outside of your job description
We are united in a common purpose of doing and being our best so we can maximize our impact on society.
We are connected to each other and can only reach our goals as we support each other.
Engagement is more than just about making employees happy. It’s about good communication, providing employees with what they need to do their work, offering opportunities for development and promoting positive co-worker relationships.
Employee engagement is driven by values, experiences and relationships. The degree to which an organization invests in a well-run employee wellness program is one indicator of the kinds of values, experiences and relationships an employee will find within your organization.
Prioritizing employee well-being will be a game-changer for recruiting and retaining employees from now on! Have you been communicating the four messages that enhance employees’ emotional commitment to their work?:
You count - Have you highlighted and strongly encouraged the use of benefits that will be most supportive to your employees’ mental and physical health? If you have a formal wellness program, have you engaged your wellness vendor in supporting employees at this time?
We care - Have you made adaptations in work hours and deadlines, as needed?
We are united in a common purpose - Have you clarified goals and communicated the highest priorities within the context of this crisis?
We are connected to each other - Have you initiated frequent and structured employee check-ins to communicate concern, offer support, and identify needs?
What does your organization’s employee wellness agenda, or lack thereof, communicate to the workers in your organization?
Sources:
https://blog.smarp.com/employee-engagement-8-statistics-you-need-to-know
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx
https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/191831/engaged-workplaces-safer-employees.aspx
About the author:
Ginger Hill is an experienced corporate wellness professional and the founder of Good Health for Good Works where she helps the earnest, but often exhausted, workers in Christian organizations to take steps toward healthier living so they can serve with energy, excellence and endurance.
READ THIS ON GINGER’S LinkedIn page -
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6674410109642317824/