Employee engagement in the organization can be defined in many ways, like employee’s commitment to their job. Calculating the level of engagement would require an employee engagement equation. There are different types of engagements. The most common type is when employees are fully committed to not only their work but also the company they are working for. This type of employee is usually satisfied with their current role, shares company values, and has trust in upper management. Employee engagement is a total team effort. Higher-level managers need to show their support through effective communication, constant feedback, and encouragement.
On the other hand, employees contribute by being responsible with delegated tasks and making their job a priority on a daily basis. In short, everyone plays an important role in this process. There are several factors that come into play when trying to improve employee engagement levels within a company:
- Corporate culture,
- Work-life balance policies,
- Interpersonal relationships at the workplace and more.
Understanding how these elements affect employees’ engagement will help companies boost employee productivity while attracting talent from both inside and outside of the organization.
The reasons for using the employee engagement equation
If companies have a clear understanding of their current employee engagement state, they will be able to set measurable goals for improvement. This is why the employee engagement equation was created. It’s a simple process that can help organizations improve their corporate culture and boost productivity through increased employee engagement levels.
The goal of the employee engagement equation is to use business data from performance reviews or employee surveys to discover areas that need attention within the company. This way it’s possible to pinpoint what exactly needs improving in order for employees to feel more engaged at work. Identifying these problem areas means companies will be able to develop effective strategies and initiatives for increasing levels of engagement among employees across all departments. The result is having employees who are more motivated to do their job well while eliminating or at least minimizing the number of people leaving.
The employee engagement score formula
Asking employees how engaged they feel in relation to company goals should be one of the priorities for all business leaders. When survey scores reveal that only a small percentage of staff members feel highly engaged, companies should look into what could be improved both internally and externally. Instead of just guessing about the reasons behind low levels of engagement among staff, organizations should use this employee engagement score formula to get accurate data on where they stand, what needs improvement and whether certain initiatives are successful or not.
The equation to calculate employee engagement has five variables that go into it. It’s not necessary to know the value of each variable, but once companies have identified the areas where employees are struggling, they can focus on how to improve them. Let’s take a look at what each variable represents.
Level of empowerment
The first variable is employee empowerment or feeling like an active participant in decision-making processes within the company. This means employees need to be included in discussions related to performance reviews, bonus plans and other aspects of work-life balance policies. Employees should also feel like their opinion matters, regardless of the job title or department they are in.
Relationship with the direct supervisor
The next variable is the relationship employees have with their direct supervisor, which can be described as how well managers communicate and collaborate with their subordinates. This factor needs to be taken into account when measuring employee engagement since it has an impact on how invested people feel at work, what tasks they prioritize in relation to company goals and more.
Overall leadership in the company
Employees also need to know that top management supports them throughout the organization’s mission and vision, which means showing proper appreciation for individual efforts is crucial too. It will give employees confidence in upper management’s ability to support every employee’s professional development plans, help them reach career goals within the company, etc.
Company direction
The next variable is company vision or knowing what the organization stands for and how it can achieve its goals in a changing a business environment. So when employees see that their work has an impact on the overall vision of the company, they will have higher levels of engagement at work since there’s more purpose in what they are doing every day.
Career progression opportunities
Finally, when companies also provide professional development opportunities this contributes to employee engagement because employees then feel like there’s a future waiting for them within the organization where they are given training courses, mentorships and other forms of support in order to grow their careers.
What are the benefits of using the employee engagement equation?
By having all these factors in place, employees will be more likely to remain in their jobs, decrease the likelihood of burnout and increase productivity levels. These are some of the benefits of using this equation:
- It creates an action plan that allows companies to keep staff members engaged,
- It helps organizations evaluate employee engagement initiatives, find out if they work or not and then adjust accordingly,
- It’s a motivator for managers who like to see how they compare to other competitors based on survey scores.
What does a lower engagement score mean?
Lower scores are often caused by managers who are not interested in their employees’ concerns, lack of transparency within the company or insufficient training opportunities for junior staff. A lower engagement score can point to several things but it’s important to remember that this is a starting point.
Following the employee engagement equation enables companies to find out what needs improvement and then focus on those areas. The objective is not necessarily to have a high engagement score but instead, employees need to know that their concerns are being addressed and their work has an impact on the overall vision of the company.
To improve the score companies need to analyze the five factors, identify where weaknesses are and then come up with an action plan. This will help measure progress in a more effective way and ultimately lead to a higher engagement level among staff members.
