Why is employee engagement important? First, it can help to understand what engagement means. It refers to the dedication and enthusiasm that employees feel for the organization. Engaged employees find their work meaningful—they know their contribution to the organization and society.
Ultimately, employee engagement could bring many benefits, including better team performance. Improved motivation levels can also come with higher employee loyalty and retention levels. The organization can attain goals quicker when employees are dedicated and productive. Retaining top talent and high innovation due to effective employee engagement can optimize the available resources.
Consider the following case study to identify factors limiting organizational performance and how to manage them effectively.
Employer Engagement Interviews Lower Turnover: a Success Story
Employee disengagement can lead to high costs to the organization. Organizations can decrease the expenses of losing employees and increase productivity by using the right tools. Finding out the reasons for employee disengagement and departure can help to make effective corrective strategies.
Effective employee engagement strategies can have numerous benefits, as illustrated by the case study below.
The Challenge
Renal Advantage, Inc. (RAI) was born out of a complex merger—it combined 73 freestanding dialysis centers. The organization experienced significant employee disengagement and a 42% turnover rate.
RAI managers decided to measure the impact of the merger on employee needs, wants, and perceptions of the new organization. The idea was partly motivated by the differences between the merging companies, DaVita Inc and Gambro Healthcare. The managers aimed to gain a competitive advantage by differentiating themselves as an attractive employer. An outstanding workforce was projected to compensate for the limited resources (compared with key rivals).
RAI’s managers immediately noted the problems they were faced with. First, the gaps in employee supply and demand only worsened the case, given that the nursing population was aging. Secondly, managers estimated that up to 17% of the workforce was dissatisfied, an issue that could translate to high turnover costs.
RAI identified two priority areas for them to attain organizational goals. First, they would mitigate the supply and demand gaps. Then, they would attract and retain top talent better than their rivals.
The Employee Engagement Solution
Work Institute implemented an EmployER Engagement program that covered the entire employee population. The intervention used qualitative and quantitative methods to measure the following factors among employees:
- Their perception of the new employer (RAI)
- The quality of the organization’s supervisory programs.
- Employees’ intention to continue working in RAI.
RAI focused on improving the areas that were highlighted by the Work Institute’s analysis of the workforce. The organization focused on enhancing its perception by employees, supervisor performance, and reducing turnover. RAI then developed measurement scales to measure and track the progress made in critical processes. For example, the organization adopted a 5-point rating scale to evaluate the progress made in equitable resource allocation. Specific milestones would guide follow-up studies.
Supervisors were trained based on the employee study. Their actions were measured relative to the benchmarks identified in the study. As a result, the supervisors became more aware of their strengths and weaknesses. They also identified opportunities for self and organizational improvement.
The Effective Results and Impact
At the end of the intervention, the following results were acquired:
- The proportion of employees that regarded the employer as excellent increased by 22%.
- 10% more employees rated their supervisor as “excellent.”
- The number of employees intending to leave the organization dropped to 16% (from 22%).
- Turnover in the organization reduced from 24% to 12%.
Engagement Studies Provide Effective Engagement and Productivity
Engagement studies can help to capture the spectrum of employee experiences. The goal is to better understand issues such as reduced productivity and high turnover rates despite constant employee engagement.
The process is not a one-way street—employers share a huge responsibility for specific employee behavior. Work institute understands the collective nature of employee engagement. The development of the Employer Engagement model aims to address the key issues that are often overlooked. The tool creates an organizational climate where employees have intrinsic motivation and dedication.
Employee engagement studies can help in the following ways:
- They offer employees a chance to express their concerns freely. Employees also suggest ways in which the employer can capitalize on their strengths and take full advantage of the available opportunities.
- The Employer Engagement model establishes “why” employees depict specific behavior. The approach enables organizations to address the root causes of problems such as high turnover.
- The Employer Engagement model helps to measure and track progress consistently. Thus, organizations stay focused on key engagement goals.
- Using data helps the organization attain short- and long-term goals quickly.
Improve Your Organization’s Workforce Today
Engagement is critical as it helps to attain organizational goals while caring for employee needs. RAI, for example, improved its competitive advantage by attracting and retaining top talent in the healthcare industry. Using the EmployER Engagement model helped the organization to focus on vital organizational drivers—job structure, teams, and managers.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how the EmployER Engagement model can help your organization.
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