Could employee engagement be a thing of the past? Could it give way to a new culture-based strategy?
The answer to the first question is: no. Employee Engagement isn’t going anywhere. The answer to the second question is a bit more complex.
Why? It’s because of the new strategy mentioned above; a concept referred to as the employee activated culture.
Employee Activated Culture
Term Definition
What is employee activation? HR professionals know what employee engagement is, and employee activation is not terribly different. Employee engagement is all about creating a more productive and positive workplace. If that’s true, than employee activation is extreme employee engagement according to Marketing Insider Group.
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“Engaged employees are happy and productive at work. But activated employees are so passionate about their work, and believe so much in what your business is trying to achieve, that they become natural brand ambassadors.”
An employee activated culture is one in which activated employees can thrive. It’s essentially a two-way street according to author Michael Brenner. In an employee activated culture, the “end goal should go beyond empowering employees to further brand objectives. The company behind the brand should also be empowering employees to further their own professional goals.”
Why it matters
Gallup says 21 percent of employees say the motivation they receive at work directly impacts their performance. In other words, they are only going to perform up to the basic level expected; the bare minimum. That has an overwhelming impact on the organization’s ability to be successful. On the flip side, companies with activated employees see 17 percent higher productivity, 20 percent higher sales and 21 percent higher profitability.
Sparking the Activation
Creating and sustaining the employee activated culture isn’t as difficult as one might think. In fact, the four components that make up the strategy are probably being utilized already. This strategy merely changes the angle of those processes to reveal the way each can be leveraged for employee activation.
- Communication – This is the most important of the four components. Organizations must be able to communicate to their employees successfully and create opportunities for the employees to communicate with the company and one another. This will allow employees to see how they can contribute to the organization’s success and allow them to see the organization is focused on the individual success of its employees.
- Employee Experience – The employee experience is key to the activation process. An employee is constantly judging the organization by the experiences they have while employed there. Positive experiences lead to activated employees. So too can negative experiences that have a positive or favorable outcome for the parties involved. An example might include a negative interaction between the organization and the employee. But with some work, both the organization and employee were able to get through the issue and strengthened their working relationship.
- Rewards and Recognition – This plays into the need of the employee to know the organization is paying attention and investing in them. This continue to motivate employees. A strong and trusted rewards and recognition program creates one of the reason employees need to succeed.
- Compensation and Benefits – A strong compensation and benefits strategy is a great recruitment and retention tool. Again, it’s all about showing the employee they are valued. An employee who feels valued is an activated employee.
In summation
Creating an employee activated culture is not something that happens overnight. It takes time. The good news is once it takes hold, employees become the best brand ambassadors an organization has in the industry. Employees who positively discuss the organization, take pride in its work and spreads its good news can drive the business into the future.
NEXT: Why Employees Aren’t Completing Your Engagement Surveys
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