Why are engaged employees important?
Engaged employees help you achieve your business goals. Why? There are several reasons for this, you can read them here 😉
Reason 1: Productivity
Involved employees are generally more productive than non-involved employees. That’s because they care more about their work and understand its importance more. According to the Workplace Research Foundation, an engaged employee has a 38% chance of achieving above-average productivity, while non-engaged employees can be a drag on productivity in your organisation.
Reason 2: Proactivity
Engaged employees like to go the extra mile for your organisation. They see opportunities and are prepared to make use of them – in some cases even outside of ‘normal working hours’. In addition, they are more willing to take on some extra work from co-workers without being told to.
Reason 3: Committed employees are quality-conscious
Of course it is nice when your colleagues do extra work, but quality is often more important than quantity. Again, you don’t need to worry about this with engaged employees. Organisations with engaged employees achieve better results than organisations without such employees.
Reason 4: Less turnover
Finding personnel in the current market is quite difficult. Have you found them? Then you’d better bind them to your organisation quickly, otherwise you’ll have invested all that time and effort in your new colleague for nothing. By getting employees involved in your organisation, you ensure that they stay. Involved employees are 87% less likely to leave according to this Essay by the University of Twente.
Reason 5: Less frequent on sick leave
Did you know that engaged employees are also less likely to call in sick than non-involved employees? Absence due to illness is often a major cost item for large organisations. In organisations with low involvement and high work pressure, sick leave is often high. This is because there is little job satisfaction among employees, who are then more likely to call in sick.
Reason 6: Committed employees change and grow with you
Your organisation grows and changes. Employees do not always grow and change with you. This can be difficult. When not all noses are pointed in the same direction in your company, employees can slow down your growth. Engaged employees will grow and change along with you, because they are involved with the values and norms that prevail in your organisation.
How do you get engaged employees?
Engaged employees do not just happen. They are not just dropped into your lap. No, you will have to work hard for them yourself. Most employees feel involved the moment they start working. Over time, this involvement only decreases.
This has to do with a lot of different things. You can think of disappointing projects, poor contact between departments and/or colleagues and other work-related conflicts. To ensure that employees stay engaged, you will have to:
- Give employees responsibility;
- Communicate clearly about expectations and developments;
- Encourage contact between your employees;
- Provide employees with constructive feedback;
- Challenge employees and give them the opportunity to develop.
Better communication in the workplace? Read our article full of tips and advice!
Want to keep employees up to date and involved? Try Bundeling!
An important pillar to keep your employees involved is clear communication. Easier said than done, of course. Communication is a broad concept and what is clear to one person may raise a lot of questions to another. In addition, there are many different communication channels to use – especially in large organisations.
Fortunately, as an organisation you can take a first step in this direction. Bundle all your internal communication together in one convenient app: Bundeling! With our communication platform, you create a structured, clear environment that promotes two-way communication.
This means that you are not only busy sending, but that your employees also have plenty of opportunity to respond, like and contribute to discussions and news within your organisation. This way, you create real involvement and the latest news within your organisation comes to life automatically.
