Only about two in 10 employees strongly agree that their leaders make them enthusiastic about the future.
Engagement initiatives ring hollow if employees get the sense that leaders don’t really care about them or aren’t invested in the organizational outcomes. Engagement isn’t just another box for leaders to check -- it’s essential for getting the best out of your employees.
Most organizations aren’t getting engagement right, which means they’re wasting their employees’ potential -- and missing out on key outcomes. Even well-intentioned employee engagement programs fall flat without clear communication and alignment from leaders.
Engagement strategies go awry when:
- employee engagement is an initiative but not a priority
- engagement is not clearly connected to the business strategy or outcomes
- HR-led programs struggle to receive attention from business leaders
- employees don’t feel like it is taken seriously or is connected to their role
Best Practices
Highly engaged organizations know that engagement drives their most important outcomes, so they ensure their initiatives aren’t empty exercises. Their leadership sends a unified message to employees about the purpose and importance of their engagement initiative -- and everyone rallies behind it.
Is your leadership on the same page when it comes to engagement? Think about whether your organization meets these criteria:
- Executives and leaders are committed to and communicate consistently about engagement.
- Managers are aligned on driving engagement within their teams.
- Initiatives are connected to the organization’s mission or purpose and aspirational outcomes.
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This content first appeared in our "10 Lessons to Improve Employee Engagement" microlearning email series.
