Employee engagement: How can employers get the best out of workers?

We’ve all heard the staggering statistics regarding employee engagement – less than 25 percent of the workforce shows up on Monday morning excited about work. That means too many people are physically showing up for work, but leaving their best self at home. There are two major casualties of this unfortunate phenomenon; the employers who are weathering the loss of productivity, innovation and results/profits, and the employees who are missing the opportunity to bring their passion to work. It’s a shame really, because employers and employees both want the same thing. Employers want employees to care so they’ll do their best work. Employees want to do their best work, because they care. Again, we both want the same thing but sometimes we’re not aligned in our efforts to create the circumstances and results we both desire. What We Really Want from Work? Employees want three critical things from work: to feel satisfaction on a reoccurring basis, to have an emotional connection to the work, and to see the impact of their contribution. Getting all three components right creates the motivation any person needs to re-energize themselves, or their workforce for that matter. We know that satisfaction in the workplace can be derived from one’s manager, an employer’s practices or policies, the working conditions, salary, and perks like free sodas or tea.However human behavior means satisfaction alone is not enough. We are first and foremost motivated by our unmet needs and wants, and this is no different in the workplace. When our unmet needs are satisfied, we relish fleeting moments of enjoyment but it doesn’t create sustained moments of motivation. It’s certainly not enough to energize us long-term to do our best work. If you give me free soda or even a pay raise, it’s nothing more than a blip on the screen. Often, the elation is gone before the money hits the bank. Then what? This is where an emotional connection and seeing the impact of my contribution becomes vital. First, having employees feel emotionally connected to their work is the most important piece. It’s derived from four key things in today’s self-managed workforce: meaningfulness, choice, progress and feeling competent. In other words, they need to see a through-line from what’s most important to them when it comes to their career and align their vision of success to the needs of the organization. This isn’t about goal setting – it’s bigger than that. People want to know they are moving to something with significance to them, in a way that honors what’s most important, while enjoying the ride. What they want from their employer is a place where they get closer to their long-term goals - measured by the achievements, recognition, growth opportunities, and knowing how the work itself moves them in the right direction You see, the motivation to get folks excited about work can only be spurred by understanding and meeting the unique elements that intrinsically move an individual into action. It’s an inside job. I’m not suggesting a revolution, but instead, think about ways to empower our employees to share the responsibility to create greater connections between their hopes and dreams and the employers they work for, so they can wake up on Monday morning excited about work again. The author is a journalist, The New Times mugoyag@yahoo.com