Employee engagement is high on many organizations’ priority lists when it comes to filling available roles and retaining top performers. To help you develop a culture of engagement, continual learning, and delighted employees, we will take a look at how the future of employee engagement appears to be this new year!
As it was widely seen, employee engagement took a downward turn in 2022. As per a survey conducted by Gallup, 68% of the employees are disengaged, with 17% actively disengaged with their workplace. Disengaged employees are detached from their employers, colleagues, and work, which causes them to be much more dissatisfied, less productive, and far more likely to make mistakes, which can be disastrous in some organizations.
As we reflect on the year, one thing is clear: if companies want to keep a happy, productive workforce, they must prioritize boosting employee engagement in their organization. The post-pandemic era has underlined the need for companies to interact with their employees on a far more human level, owing to forced seclusion and a completely rebuilt working world. The moment has come to build a world of work where employees are involved in something bigger than themselves and are part of a group, where they have a sense of belonging and share the organization’s culture, mission, and values.
As we step into 2023, let us take a look at the employee engagement trends for 2023 that will assist you in developing stronger, deeper relationships between you and your employees that will put them and the business up for success.
The top employee engagement trends :
People-centric approach
We are witnessing the emergence of a people-first approach in 2023. Employee engagement, which looked like a novel concept at the start of the last decade, is now a clear business goal. It is critical to improve corporate culture or risk losing top people.
Companies such as Hilton, Salesforce, and American Express are laying the groundwork for businesses to execute initiatives to transform organizational culture. Only when everyone feels cared for and appreciated by the people organization, from top to bottom, can a people-first culture blossom. It is a road that all organizations must take.
Flexible working setups
Remote working became the “new normal” due to the pandemic. Two years later, 74% of US businesses are utilizing or plan to use a permanent hybrid work style in the future. Despite their reservations about employees working from home, many businesses have thrived. Work-life balance has gained relevance on employee priority lists in recent years.
During the epidemic, it became abundantly evident that not every job needed employees to be physically present in an office daily. Fears that a remote workforce would reduce production were unfounded, as firms worldwide could continue working productively and efficiently. Offering staff flexible work hours, locations, and updated procedures will go a long way.
Encouragement of more creativity
Creativity refers to the capability to develop new and intriguing ideas, which may be fostered by giving people more autonomy in their roles. Employees can be seen to be the most creative when involved in developing their own ideas.
If you want an organizational culture in which your workforce brings new ideas regarding products or services, you should encourage them to brainstorm ideas on their own—that way, they’re not just limiting their thinking to someone else’s perception. Encourage your employees and teams to bring their ideas and opinions to the table to ensure their creativity remains at an all-time high!
Automation and digitalization
Digitalization and automation, two of the top employee engagement topics to monitor, appear destined to change the world of work as we know it. 85% of organizations have accelerated their digitalization plans, which is expected to rise in 2023. Not only will organizations seek to replace archaic paper-based systems with digital ones, but many manual jobs will also be automated, freeing individuals to take on new positions and develop new skills.
Employers will use digital technology to train and upskill their personnel, thereby investing in their future. This will help create a workplace that values learning and skill development and boost employee productivity and morale, making the organization the first choice for prospective employees.
Adding more human to the HR
Human resources are an essential component of any firm, but in many situations, they are viewed as a necessary evil with strict standards and a lot of thinking OUTSIDE the box. However, HR is mainly about people, who are the organization’s most valuable asset, and must be handled as such. Empathy is a crucial component of a people-centric culture, and it should be practiced and expanded across all departments, including (and especially!) HR.
Top performers will be retained and attracted when they believe their employer sees them as individuals with distinct needs and ideas and truly listens to them. They will be less involved and connected if they are perceived as a number being forced into an image produced without their involvement.
Do you want to have an engaged workforce? To boost the employee engagement of your organization, book a consultation call with the experts today!
FAQs
- What is employee engagement, and why is it important?
Employee engagement refers to the level of involvement, commitment, and passion employees have for their work and the organization they work for. It is important because engaged employees are more likely to be motivated and productive and positively impact the organization’s overall success. They are also less likely to leave the organization, which can reduce recruitment and training costs.
- How can an organization increase employee engagement?
There are several ways an organization can increase employee engagement, such as:
Providing opportunities for growth and development, recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and achievements, encouraging open communication, providing regular feedback, creating a positive and supportive work environment, and aligning employee goals with the company’s mission and objectives.
Gaurav Sabharwal
CEO of JOP
Gaurav is the CEO of JOP (Joy of Performing), an OKR and high-performance enabling platform. With almost two decades of experience in building businesses, he knows what it takes to enable high performance within a team and engage them in the business. He supports organizations globally by becoming their growth partner and helping them build high-performing teams by tackling issues like lack of focus, unclear goals, unaligned teams, lack of funding, no continuous improvement framework, etc. He is a Certified OKR Coach and loves to share helpful resources and address common organizational challenges to help drive team performance. Read More