3 Reasons to Focus on Employee Engagement and Experience

Employee engagement is in crisis. Only 20% of employees worldwide are actively engaged in their work, according to the State of the Global Workforce 2021 by Gallup. Yet, the majority of the more than 400 HR professionals who responded to the latest State of HR survey listed employee engagement as their top priority. In that same survey, respondents listed burnout as the biggest threat to employee engagement. 

The point is that engaging the workforce is a top priority, and it's just not happening right now. Everyone has heard of quiet quitting, rage applying, and bare minimum Mondays. These might seem like frivolous, viral TikTok videos, but they are making a statement about the mindset of workers today. Human Resources professionals must seek solutions to re-engage employees and create the kind of culture that breeds innovation, collaboration, and success. 

To start, pay attention to what is on the minds of thought leaders who contribute to employee engagement solutions:

Admit You Have a Problem

Cole Napper, Co-Host of Directionally Correct, A People Analytics Podcast with Cole & Scott and owner of Directionally Correct LLC, and Paul Bennun, Vice President of Employee Experience at DAZN, will address why people are disengaging with their work at the upcoming Employee Engagement and Experience online event. They will tackle the elephant in the room to determine why behaviors like quiet quitting exist and what is either exhausting employees or frustrating them enough to stop caring about their jobs as much as they once did. This session is vital and can set the tone for others because its HR admitting it has a problem. The next step will be finding solutions. 

Remain Vigilant about DEI

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was a top priority, especially in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police, which ignited the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement. However, many people made promises about DEI that they simply did not keep. At the Employee Engagement event, Stephanie Murphy, People Analytics Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, and Via Van Liew, Principal Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at The Aerospace Corporation, will talk about how HR can hold people in organizations accountable for creating an inclusive environment that reflects the community it serves. It doesn't take much effort to realize that companies focused on helping people feel that sense of belonging will have better employee engagement and retention. 

Brace Yourself and Embrace Technology

Employees might be feeling a little threatened and a little useless as ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance. While humans bring emotion and heart to their work, there is no denying that technology brings the efficiency and could outpace humans in productivity. Rather than hiding under the covers, employees need the courage to embrace technology. 

Markus Bernhardt, Chief Evangelist at OBRIZUM, will talk about how to create a digital culture that lays the foundation for comfort with technology. There are ways for people to use the technology to make their work easier and less of a burden. It could, in fact, tie into their mental health and wellness plans by allowing for better work-life balance.

However, culture shifts are never easy. Still, that is what is required to make employee engagement functional again. To perform to their highest potential, people need to feel included, valued, and healthy. The organization has to create a culture that supports this kind of positivity. It's not rocket science, but it does require putting the human back in Human Resources. 

Don't miss your chance to join these free sessions, where we'll be having interactive conversations with thought leaders and the audience about Employee Engagement and Experience. We hope to see you there. 

Photo by Christina Morillo for Pexels