Employee Engagement and Business Success

The Workforce Institute at Kronos commissioned a survey to investigate current levels of employee engagement and its impact on business success. (Disclosure: Kronos is an Industry Partner to NPAworldwide.) Survey respondents included more than 300 professionals in the areas of HR, operations / line of business managers, and employees from companies with more than 600 employees. Industry representation included retail, healthcare, public sector, manufacturing, service, and transportation/logistics. The survey data is interesting; the summary is available for downloading.

Some of the key take-aways from the survey included:

• Employees and managers face multiple challenges and pressures that lead to reduced productivity. Some of these include too many processes (61%), not enough staff (60%), heavy/unrealistic workload (59%), and lack of automated systems (56%).
• Overall, survey respondents spend an average of 3.1 hours each week on administrative tasks that are not related to their core job role. This wasted time costs an average of more than $4,500 per employee each year, or a total cost of $687 billion annually.
• Nearly two-thirds of employees indicated it is difficult to complete all their tasks in a typical workday. Survey respondents say that reducing time spent on administration and paperwork would leave more time for higher-value activities and customer service.
• Only 12% of respondents believe that employee engagement is ‘very strong’ at their workplace. Engaged employees are generally more collaborative and innovative, both of which are key elements for sustained growth.
• New people entering the workforce want to feel as though they are valued and an important part of the organization’s success. Yet, less than one-third of HR professionals surveyed rate employees among the top three assets of their organizations. Continuing to look at the workforce as a liability instead of an asset has a direct impact on employee engagement, especially since 71% of employees would leave their jobs if they didn’t feel valued.
• 78% of survey respondents say that manual systems and process contribute to a loss of productivity. There is wide desire for up-to-date, appropriate technology to foster employee engagement.
• Money is not the primary motivator for keeping employees happy and engaged. More than 70% of respondents desire better communication with management. While 58% indicated rewards and incentives would increase productivity, those are most likely to work when management spends more time listening to, understanding, and supporting employees.

Have you (or your clients) implemented any effective employee engagement strategies? What is the best way to change organization culture? Please share your thoughts below.