Better strategy integration crucial for engaging employees

 

Employee engagement is a perennial concern for companies, with many senior executives struggling to find the right ways to connect staff with the specific issues and developments their business faces.

At the same time, traditional methods for connecting with employees have become less effective, with many workers now suffering from communication fatigue as a result of constant company memos and initiatives.

This disconnect has been pointed to in recent research from Hay Group. Their survey of engagement leaders within companies found that 84 per cent believe their organization needs to engage with employees differently in coming years, if they are to adapt to changes in the workplace.

While this suggests that employee engagement is on the minds of many managers, these matters have been difficult to integrate into company operations. In fact, only 30 per cent of respondents to the survey reported that they have made adequate changes to their operation to handle emerging challenges.

Among the main ways that companies are changing is the increasing digitization of business functions, according to Mark Royal, senior principal at Hay Group.

“Leaders will need to find ways to manage and engage teams that rarely meet – and sidestep the risks of burnout that come with a workforce that is continuously connected to work and ‘always on’,” said Mr Royal.

“Engagement must be part of everyday business operations, not just an annual exercise. And it needs to be constantly monitored and managed over a broad range of channels.”

While digital changes are just one of the mega-trends that Hay Group pointed to as effecting the growth of company strategy, companies are still struggling to adjust to these challenges. In fact, 67 per cent of respondents to the survey have made no changes to the way they operate in the face of a changing engagement landscape.

For companies that are determined to get the right approach to their business, there are a number of ways to integrate these technologies and improve engagement with company initiatives. Transparent business strategy software, for example, can connect employees and ensure they are engaged with the direction of your business.