In the eyes of any sustainable, equitable, and professional business, employee engagement and satisfaction are the main factors to building success, but with the newly adopted styles of remote and hybrid working, engagement has become harder to navigate. With increased living costs and unstoppable inflation, many workers are becoming more and more impatient with their current work situation–striving for something more impactful yet profitable. According to the Gallup’s State of Workplace report, about 85% of workers are ready to leave their current jobs for various underlying reasons. With a need for increased income, a more stable work environment, and better integration among functionalities, many leaders are branching out of their regular mindset to find ways of interest and engagement.
“When your employees’ wellbeing is thriving, your organization directly benefits—they take fewer sick days, deliver higher performance, and have lower rates of burnout and turnover. But, when your employees’ wellbeing suffers, so does your organization’s bottom line,” stated Chief Scientist of Workplace and Wellbeing at Gallup, Jim Harter.
The lack of engagement in the workforce is due to the high employee turnover rate of 87% due to position dissatisfaction. This also goes hand in hand with employee well-being, comfortability, and the belief they work in a safe environment. Employment trends are changing, mainly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many employees wanting a better job even at the cost of a pay cut. In fact, 71% of Gen Z workers would take a salary decrease to complete more meaningful and stable work. During the pandemic, society gained a different perspective on how the workforce views their employees, written within the two extremes of neglect or complete adaptation. Many workers gained a view on how they should be addressed and how they deserve to be treated within the workplace, leading to high numbers of transfers or walkouts.
We are also seeing an increase in remote and hybrid working, widening the gap between employer and employee engagement. These styles of working also raise new challenges, such as difficulty concentrating or separating work from personal life, a possible decrease in motivation, and lack of accountability from employee to employer. So now leaders and higher ups are trying to figure out the best ways to grab their employees attention and hold their interest.
Adopting more proactive behaviors and processes are a huge start to gaining employee engagement; making sure the employees feel heard and supported no matter where their location of work is. Being able to have a productive conversation about wage, resource and benefit accessibility, and improvements will increase employee satisfaction as well. As long as the employee feels there is a stable and solid foundation beneath their work, their efforts and motivation will in turn increase. Allowing any employee to speak out about concerns, lack of support, or even productivity rates due to any factor will breed a healthier work environment.
