What does an engaged employee look like? Engaged employees know they can make a difference in their work. Those differences include better product quality, better customer service, more innovation, and lower operating costs. Engaged employees also take a great amount of pride in their job, are present, and are motivated to go the extra mile to achieve results. Their enthusiasm for their work is evident in all they do. That makes for a happy employee and happy employees don’t want to leave.
Ensuring your new hires are mission-driven and will fit in with the company’s culture will increase employee engagement. To strengthen employees’ commitment to the culture, they must first be educated about the company’s culture, mission, and values. This cultural education can be fostered through development plans and new employee orientation sessions. Education should include organizational values such as trust, accountability, risk taking, relationships with leaders, job autonomy, and appreciation for creative ideas.
Start the orientation at the recruiting stage. By enlightening a candidate about the organization’s culture and behaviors that are considered important, the individual will have a better idea of how he or she will fit in with the company before accepting a position. You can also ask the right kinds of questions to get a sense of whether or not their personality will fit with your culture.
When employees understand the values of the organization they’re working for, they’re able to choose organizations that better match their personal values. A strong connection will result in better engagement levels from the beginning and help to ensure that your new hire will stay.
How do you engage employees at your organization?